Deaths Recorded In Mass Prison Break

A major jailbreak occurred on Monday morning at a prison in Goma, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, shortly after fighters from the M23 armed group and Rwandan troops entered the area, according to a security source.

The prison, housing approximately 3,000 inmates, was “completely torched” during the jailbreak, resulting in “deaths,” though further details were not provided. Fleeing prisoners were seen in the nearby streets, according to an AFP journalist.

The night of January 26, 2025, saw gunfire and explosions in Goma, which has been under siege by a militia with the support of the Rwandan army.

AFP reporters noted loud explosions after dark in the city, which is home to around a million residents and even more displaced people due to ongoing violence.

International pressure for a resolution to the battle for Goma increased, with Kenya announcing that DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame had agreed to attend a summit in the next two days.

Fighting between M23 fighters, backed by Rwandan troops, and the Congolese army and UN peacekeepers has been ongoing on Goma’s outskirts for several days.

The battle is the latest chapter in the prolonged conflict in eastern DRC, a region that has faced ethnic disputes, armed militia clashes, and regional rivalries for over 30 years.

The DRC has accused Rwanda of issuing a “declaration of war” by sending additional troops over the border to support M23 and has called for UN sanctions against Rwanda.

In response, the UN Security Council issued a statement calling for the withdrawal of “external forces” but did not specifically name Rwanda.

M23, supported by several thousand Rwandan soldiers, has recently made significant advances against Congolese troops defending Goma.

Around a dozen foreign peacekeepers have been killed in the escalating violence, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for Rwanda to withdraw its forces, a request that Rwanda rejected.

Rwanda’s foreign ministry defended its military presence, citing security concerns near its border with the DRC.

However, Kenyan President William Ruto later announced a summit of the East African Community, including leaders from Rwanda and DRC, to address the crisis.

In an emergency UN Security Council meeting, the DRC’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner condemned the actions of Rwanda, accusing it of violating Congolese sovereignty by sending more troops.

She urged the UN to impose targeted sanctions on Rwandan officials.

The DRC and Rwanda have already withdrawn their diplomats from each other’s capitals as relations have deteriorated.

Peace talks between Kagame and Tshisekedi were canceled in mid-December, leading to a rapid advance by M23 toward Goma.

In response to the crisis, Guterres called for Rwanda to cease its support for M23 and withdraw from DRC territory.

Although the UN has yet to officially name Rwanda as a party in the conflict, a UN experts’ report suggests that Rwanda is using M23 to gain access to DRC’s mineral resources.

Goma had been briefly occupied by M23 in 2012, and although the group was defeated in 2013, it has since regrouped and continued its activities.

Multiple ceasefires have been attempted and broken in the region, with the most recent truce signed in late July.

On Saturday, three countries reported the deaths of 13 peacekeepers, including members of the UN force (MONUSCO) and a southern African regional peacekeeping mission.

The victims included nine South Africans, three Malawians, and one Uruguayan.

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