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Summary
The UN reports that over 100 female prisoners were raped and burned alive during a jailbreak in Goma, DR Congo, amid escalating violence as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized control of the city.
More than 100 female prisoners were raped and burned alive during a jailbreak in the eastern Congolese city of Goma, according to the United Nations (UN).
The attack occurred on January 27, when hundreds of inmates escaped from Munzenze prison as the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group advanced into the city. An internal UN document seen by the BBC states that between 165 and 167 women were sexually assaulted by male prisoners during the breakout. The report further reports that most of the women were killed when the attackers set fire to the facility.
The BBC has not been able to independently verify the claims.
Goma, a city of over one million people, fell to M23 rebels following their rapid offensive through eastern DR Congo. The takeover plunged the city into turmoil, with reports of bodies in the streets and missiles striking residential areas.
Footage from the jailbreak showed prisoners fleeing the facility as thick smoke billowed into the sky, with heavy gunfire echoing in the background. According to the UN, at least 2,900 people have been killed since the fighting erupted, with 2,000 bodies already buried and another 900 still in morgues.
Earlier this week, M23 rebels declared a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds. However, sources report that the group launched a new offensive on Wednesday, seizing the mining town of Nyabibwe, about 100 km (60 miles) from Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern DR Congo.
Fearing further advances by M23, Congolese authorities have enlisted hundreds of civilian volunteers to help defend Bukavu. Meanwhile, the situation has prompted international responses, with Malawi announcing plans to withdraw its peacekeeping forces following the deaths of three of its soldiers in the Goma conflict.
The Malawian troops were part of a southern African peacekeeping force led by South Africa. Despite the loss of 14 South African soldiers, President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to maintain his country’s military presence in DR Congo.
As Goma residents struggle to adapt to life under M23 rule, humanitarian agencies warn of an impending cholera outbreak.
The UN and humanitarian organisations continue to assess the full scale of the atrocities committed during the jailbreak and the ongoing conflict, as the region faces an escalating crisis.
