More than 150 Female Inmates Raped and Burned to Death During Goma Jailbreak in DRC, UN Reports

GOMA, DRC — More than 150 female prisoners were raped and burned to death during a violent jailbreak in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a United Nations spokesperson has revealed. The incident, which took place last week, saw male inmates orchestrating a mass escape amid ongoing conflict in the region.

Seif Magango, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, informed CNN that the majority of the 165 female inmates subjected to sexual violence perished in a fire set by the escaping prisoners. He further disclosed that between nine and thirteen women survived the inferno, despite having been raped, according to a judicial source within the DRC.

“We did not independently verify the judicial official’s report ourselves, but we do consider his account to be credible,” Magango stated on Thursday.

The prison break unfolded on January 27 as the M23 rebel group engaged in fierce battles with Congolese forces over control of Goma, according to UN-backed Radio Okapi. Some of the escaping male inmates were killed by prison guards, but others managed to flee.

DRC Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya confirmed the horrifying details, acknowledging the rape of 165 female prisoners. “The government condemns with the greatest energy this barbaric crime,” he told CNN on Wednesday.

This tragic event is a grim reminder of the persistent conflict-related sexual violence that has long afflicted the DRC. The region has witnessed similar atrocities for decades, with armed groups and militias frequently using rape as a weapon of war.

Further reports indicate that sexual violence is not confined to prison settings. On Friday, the UN’s Human Rights Office stated that it had received information regarding additional cases of abuse by DRC’s army and its allied forces. Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, revealed that officials are verifying reports of 52 women allegedly raped by Congolese troops in South Kivu, including instances of gang rape.

CNN has reached out to the Congolese military for a response to these allegations but has not yet received a comment.

Amidst the escalating violence, the M23 rebel group, which has claimed to have seized Goma, has called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Reports suggest that nearly 3,000 people have lost their lives in the recent clashes between government forces and the rebels, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.

As international organizations and human rights groups condemn the violence, calls for accountability and justice grow louder. The situation in the DRC remains volatile, with millions of civilians caught in the crossfire of an unending cycle of war and suffering.