Mass prison escapes in DRC stoke panic after rebel advance

Mass prison escapes during the chaos of fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured two of its largest cities over the past two months, have caused panic among the public.

- Carlos Mureithi

Jailbreaks involving thousands of people at four prisons in the region have accompanied the militia's rapid advance that began in January in its fighting against the Congolese army that brought chaos to the country.

"With prisoners escaping, we feel insecure," said Dufina Tabu Mwene-batende, a human rights activist with the Association of Congo Volunteers.

As mayhem ensued during the approach and entry of M23 into areas of eastern DRC, security guards at prisons abandoned their positions, creating opportunities for escape.

More than 4,000 prisoners escaped from Munzenze prison on the night of 27 January as M23 entered Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. It later emerged that hundreds of female inmates had been attacked in their wing, raped and burned alive.

More escapes - in Bukavu, Kabare and Kalemie central prison - took place subsequently, with the most recent, at Kalemie, on 19 February.