DRC: Béni prison attacked, hundreds of fleeing prisoners

(illustration) Aerial view of part of the city of Béni, North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

AP Photo / Jerome Delay

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

Early this Tuesday morning, October 20, the prison in the city of Béni, in the province of North Kivu, was attacked by elements of the ADF movement according to some authorities.

Hundreds of prisoners have reportedly been released.

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Kinshasa,

It was a carefully conducted incursion around 4 a.m. local time.

The mayor of the city speaks of an operation which was carried out in two stages.

Heavily armed, a first group targeted the army's position around the prison.

A second group directly attacked the prison complex.

The main gates were broken and the prisoners were released.

There was an exchange of fire between security and defense forces with these armed attackers, who are, according to authorities, fighters of

(Allied democratic forces).

These ADF fighters had their comrades incarcerated in this prison.

The details of the operation are not yet known with precision, but according to the authorities two prisoners were killed and several hundred escaped.

Other sources speak of losses also among the military.

The situation is confused around the prison, which has already experienced events of this type.

also escaped following another attack by armed combatants.

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• DRC

• Justice