Kinshasa, Feb 6, (dpa/GNA) – At least 160 female inmates of a prison in Goma were raped, during a jailbreak amid the chaos unleashed by M23 rebels, as they were taking control of the eastern Congolese city.
The women were raped as thousands of inmates escaped from the Goma prison on January 27, when the Rwanda-backed rebels seized control from government forces, police officer Robert Kayembe told dpa via phone on Wednesday.
“Over 160 women in Munzenze prison were raped and a number yet to be established were burned, when their wing at the prison was set on fire,” Kayembe, who is in charge of criminal investigations at Muzenze police station, said.
The deputy head of the UN peacekeeping mission stationed in Goma, Vivian van de Perre, told British newspaper The Guardian that hundreds of women were raped and killed during the jail break.
“There was a major prison breakout of 4,000 escaped prisoners. A few hundred women were also in that prison,” she said.
“They were all raped and then they set fire to the women’s wing. They all died afterwards.”
Police officer Kayembe told dpa that M23 rebels have so far been preventing anyone from entering the burned prison.
He said it was still unclear whether escaping male inmates, M23 rebels or members of other local militias had sent fire to the prison.
M23, is one of more than 100 armed groups in resource-rich eastern Congo, and has been in conflict with government troops for years.
Following a major advance starting in early January, they now control large parts of the eastern province of North Kivu, including the provincial capital Goma.
Experts say all parties to the conflict that has been raging in North and South Kivu provinces for years, are guilty of committing acts of sexual violence, including mass rapes and forced prostitution.
GNA