Hundreds of female prisoners were raped and burned alive during a jailbreak in the Congolese city of Goma. On January 27, hundreds of prisoners broke out of Munzenze prison, after the M23 rebel group began to take over the city.
According to BBC, around 165 and 167 women were assaulted by male inmates during the jailbreak, an internal UN document said. The report states that the majority of the women lost their lives when the inmates set fire to the prison.
Vivian van de Perre, the deputy head of the UN peacekeeping force stationed in Goma, stated that while several thousand men managed to escape from the prison, the section designated for women was set on fire, as per The Guardian.
Goma, a major city with a population exceeding one million, fell to the Rwanda-backed M23 following a swift advance through eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As per BBC, chaos ensued after bodies were lying in the streets and missiles were reportedly flying over the residential homes.
The report said that in a video, the jailbreak was captured and people were seen escaping the building while smoke billowed in the background, this was accompanied by sounds of heavy gunfire.
Mass jailbreak reported at Munzenze prison in Goma, eastern DRC, on Monday morning as M23 rebel group fighters moved into the city.
The prison which holds approximately 3,000 inmates was reportedly set ablaze as fleeing prisoners were seen in the surrounding streets. pic.twitter.com/Vms5v3NdXS
— Cyprian, Is Nyakundi (@C_NyaKundiH) January 27, 2025
As per the BBC, the UN reported that at least 2,900 people were killed during the fighting, with 2,000 bodies buried and another 900 still in the city’s morgues.
ALSO READ: Pesticide Shops In J&K’s Rajouri Sealed 2 Months After Mysterious Death Of 17 Locals
Earlier this week, the rebels declared a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds. However, sources indicate that the M23 resumed hostilities on Wednesday, reportedly seizing the mining town of Nyabibwe, which lies approximately 100 km from Bukavu. It is the second-largest city in eastern DR Congo and the apparent target of the rebels’ latest offensive.
The Congolese authorities have mobilized hundreds of civilian volunteers to assist in defending Bukavu. Meanwhile, Malawi has announced plans to begin preparations for the withdrawal of its peacekeeping forces from the country following the killing of three of its soldiers in the fighting around Goma. These soldiers were part of a Southern African force led by South Africa. Despite the deaths of 14 South African soldiers, President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to keep his forces deployed in the country.
