Hundreds of female inmates at Munzenze prison in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, were burned alive after being raped during a mass jailbreak caused by the chaos when Rwanda-backed M23 rebels entered the city last week, in a shocking report. The attack has led to an alarming rise in human rights violations, including summary executions, bombings of displacement camps, and widespread sexual violence, according to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR).
M23 Rebels Capture Goma, Congo
The M23 rebels, under the patronage of Rwanda, took control of the regional capital, Goma, from an anarchic and resource-rich part of the country. This part of the country has already been a hotbed of violent conflict over decades, with several million having died and become displaced during the wars that ravaged the region in 1996-1997 and 1998-2003.
The most recent escalation has created a record-high rise in human rights abuses; the reports about gang rapes, bombings, and killings are surfacing all around the region.
Mass Jailbreak and Atrocities at Munzenze Prison
During the attack, M23 rebels aided the mass jailbreak from Munzenze prison located in Goma, housing thousands of males and females in jail. According to a senior UN official, thousands of men were able to escape, but the women’s wing of the prison became the scene of brutal violence. Vivian van de Perre, the deputy head of the UN peacekeeping force in Goma, affirmed that the women’s wing of prison was set on fire after rape.
It was on January 27 that the horrific incident occurred, and photographs taken shortly after the breach show black smoke coming out of the prison. UN peacekeepers who have been deployed in Goma could not visit the site and investigate the scene because of restrictions imposed by M23 rebels.
Reports of Widespread Violence and Humanitarian Crisis
Atrocities at Munzenze prison are rated among the worst of the latest M23-led conflict. As put by Van de Perre, “There was a major prison breakout of 4,000 escaped prisoners. A few hundred women were also in that prison…They were all raped and then they set fire to the women’s wing. They all died afterwards.”
It is reported that the true scale of brutality remains unknown and an estimated number of 2,000 unburied corpses has been said to be remaining in Goma and the killings keep on growing.
UN Human Rights Council to Hold Special Meeting
The UN Human Rights Council will hold a special meeting on February 7 in Geneva to discuss the situation in Goma. The Democratic Republic of Congo requested the session, which has already garnered support from 27 countries, surpassing the requirement for a third of the council’s 47 members.
Although the council does not have legally binding power, its debates carry significant political weight, and the criticisms voiced during these discussions may raise international pressure on governments to alter their actions.
The council’s discussions may also lead to investigations that could hold those responsible for war crimes accountable in international courts. The situation in Goma has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community, with calls for urgent action to address the human rights violations taking place.
As the conflict continues, the fate of Goma’s citizens remains uncertain, with many facing unimaginable horrors in the midst of escalating violence and instability.