In brief
A devastating UN report has emerged, indicating that during a violent jailbreak in the city of Goma, DR Congo, more than 100 women were raped and subsequently burned alive. The situation escalated as prisoners escaped amid chaos created by the advancing M23 rebel group, which has seized control of Goma.
In Goma, more than 100 women prisoners faced unimaginable horrors during a recent jailbreak, with reports revealing they were raped and burned alive as chaos erupted. The UN documented that between 165 to 167 women were assaulted by male inmates amid the pandemonium caused by the M23 rebel group's incursion into the city.The jailbreak occurred last Monday, leading to mass fleeing as smoke billowed from the prison facility. Eyewitness accounts depicted scenes of destruction and terror, with heavy gunfire echoing through the streets. This revolt followed the M23’s rapid takeover of Goma, a city with over a million residents, where bodies lay uncollected in the streets.An internal UN report, which the BBC reviewed, claims that most of the victims perished in the resultant fire ignited by the inmates. Confirming the brutality of the situation, UN officials noted that the ongoing conflict has claimed at least 2,900 lives since the fighting escalated.Although the M23 announced a ceasefire earlier this week for humanitarian purposes, reports indicate they resumed their offensive just days later with the capture of the mining town Nyabibwe. The conflict has significantly destabilized the region, with civilians now enlisting to defend the nearby city of Bukavu from potential attacks.In the wake of the unrest, Malawi prepared to withdraw its peacekeeping troops after the deaths of three of its soldiers, while South African forces remain on alert following the deaths of 14 personnel. Most alarming is the fear of a choleral outbreak among Goma's distressed population due to disrupted water access and corpses left unburied in the streets.Health workers from Médecins Sans Frontières warned that their treatment facilities are nearing full capacity, underscoring the dire humanitarian crisis triggered by the continuing violence. As the M23 rebels assert control, residents continue to endure a desperate fight for survival in Goma.
