Amid chaos following the seizure of Goma by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, hundreds of female inmates were raped and burned alive during a prison breakout. Thousands of male prisoners also escaped, and the region remains under heavy conflict. The UN has condemned the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in the area.

Atrocity Unfolds as Thousands of Male Inmates Escape During Chaos Following Rwandan-Backed M23 Rebels' Seizure of Eastern DRC City

The chaos surrounding the seizure of Goma, a key city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels last week saw a horrific act of violence, with hundreds of women being raped and burned alive. The incident occurred at Munzenze prison, where female inmates were targeted during a mass jailbreak, according to a senior UN official.

Vivian van de Perre, the deputy head of the UN peacekeeping force in Goma, confirmed that while thousands of male prisoners managed to escape, the women’s section of the prison was set ablaze. Disturbing images taken shortly after the rebels entered Goma on 27 January show thick black smoke rising from the prison, highlighting the scale of the destruction.

Though details remain scarce, this atrocity appears to be one of the most horrific episodes in the recent violence led by the M23 in the region. Due to restrictions imposed by the M23 rebels, UN peacekeepers have been unable to visit the site and investigate further, leaving the identity of the perpetrators unresolved.

On Tuesday, it was reported that around 2,000 bodies were still awaiting burial in Goma following the M23 militia’s takeover of the city. Goma serves as the capital of the DRC’s North Kivu province and is home to over one million residents.

Van de Perre, stationed in Goma with thousands of UN peacekeeping troops, offered further details: “There was a major prison breakout with 4,000 escaped prisoners. Among them were a few hundred women. They were raped, and then the women’s wing was set on fire. All of them died as a result.”

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has since condemned the widespread use of