According to BBC on February 5, over 100 female prisoners were raped and then burned alive during a jailbreak in the Congolese city of Goma. According to the United Nations’ report from the country, hundreds of prisoners broke out of Munzenze prison Monday January 27, after fighters from the M23 rebel group began to take over the area.
The male inmates who broke the jail assaulted the women, numbering between 165 and 167 an internal UN document seen by the BBC says. It was identified that most of the women were killed after the inmates set fire to the prison. However, the BBC is yet to verify the reports.
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. In the past few weeks, the rebels announced a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds. However, the M23 launched a new offensive on Wednesday February 5, sources say, reportedly capturing the mining town of Nyabibwe.