A massive prison break has occurred in the city of Goma – M23 rebels stormed the city and announced its ’liberation’, as the UN has called for the rebels to ’cease all hostilities’.
A mass prison break has taken place in Goma with reports of looting and confusion across the besieged city.
The prison break took place hours after members of the M23 armed group and Rwandan troops besieged and entered the city. Goma is the capital city of the Congo’s North Kivu region on the eastern border with Rwanda. In 2022, Goma was estimated to have a total population of around two million people – with at least 500,000 of these being displaced people.
According to an AFP journalist, fleeing prisoners can be seen surrounding the streets and the prison that holds around 3,000 inmates had been “totally torched” with the jailbreak resulting in a number of deaths.
Goma was estimated to have a total population of around two million people – with at least 500,00 of these being displaced people(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
In a statement released early on Monday the DRC government claimed to still be controlling strategic parts of the city.
“Contrary to popular manipulative messages circulating on social networks the FARDC [the DRC army] hold the Goma airport… and all the strategic points of the capital of the North Kivu Province," it said.
Despite these claims from the DRC, in a recent statement announced on X/formerly known as Twitter an M23 spokesperson announced the militia had "liberated" the city.
M23 rebel group has taken control and occupied vast areas of the mineral-rich eastern DRC(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“We urge all residents of Goma to remain calm. The liberation of the city has been successfully carried out and the situation is under control.”
The militia group’s seizing of Goma was later confirmed on Monday by France’s foreign ministry.
Since 2021 the M23 rebel group has taken control and occupied vast areas of the mineral-rich eastern DRC.
According to the UN’s refugee agency more than 400,000 people have been displaced from the provinces of North and South Kivu near the border with Rwanda.
Both the DRC and the UN claim that the M23 rebel group are backed by Rwanda – Rwanda has not denied this.
UN Secretary General António Guterres has called on Rwanda to “withdraw from the DRC” and “cease support to the M23”. Alongside this he has also called on M23 to "immediately cease all hostilities and withdraw from all occupied territories."
Rwanda faces accusation of using the M23 rebels to loot areas in eastern DRC of it valuable minerals(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Rwanda has previously claimed that those responsible for the Rwanda genocide had fled across the boarder into the DRC and were working with the authorities in the DRC.
Critics of Rwanda accuse it of using the M23 militia group to loot minerals such as gold, cobalt and tantalum from the DRC’s mineral rich eastern provinces.
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