 "Over 150 women raped, burned to death in Congo by male inmates fleeing after jailbreak")
More than 150 women held in a prison in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo endured brutal sexual violence before being burned alive last week. The horrendous incident happened when male inmates set fire to the facility during a mass escape.
CNN cited Seif Magango, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, as saying that most of the 165 female prisoners who were raped by the fleeing men did not survive the inferno. Those who lived through the horror– between nine and 13 women– are likely to have been left deeply scarred.
The jailbreak of horrors
“We did not independently verify the judicial official’s report ourselves, but we do consider his account to be credible,” Magango said on Thursday (February 6).
The mass escape unfolded on January 27 as the M23 rebel group waged fierce battles against Congolese forces for control of Goma. The prison, Muzenze, was left in ruins after more than 4,000 inmates fled, according to UN-sponsored Radio Okapi.
Some of the escaping men were killed by prison guards, but the violence had already taken an unthinkable toll.
Patrick Muyaya, Congo’s communications minister, confirmed the rape of 165 women, calling the atrocity a “barbaric crime” and condemning it “with the greatest energy.”
A recurring scene
Killings and mass rape are unfortunately frequent scenes of conflict-related sexual violence that have plagued the African nation for decades now.
Last week, the UN Human Rights Office said it had also received reports of other cases of sexual violence, this time allegedly committed by Congolese soldiers and allied forces. UN spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said investigators were verifying claims that 52 women were raped in South Kivu, including reports of gang rape.
As the humanitarian catastrophe deepens, the M23 rebel group, which claims to have seized control of Goma, has called for an immediate ceasefire. The fighting between rebels and government forces has already left nearly 3,000 people dead.
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