11 dead, over 900 escape in another prison break in DR Congo

At least 11 people were killed and 930 prisoners escaped on Sunday when unidentified assailants stormed a jail in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s northeastern town of Beni, the provincial governor said.

The attack is at least the fourth prison break in Congo in the last month.

North Kivu province’s governor, Julien Paluku, said in a statement that the assailants had used heavy weapons, killing eight prison guards.

“Only the army and the police have the right to circulate to bring under control the enemy, who started to flee at 3:30 pm (1330 GMT),” Paluku said.

About 30 prisoners remain inside the facility and a curfew is now in place in Beni and surrounding areas, he added.

It is not yet clear who had carried out the attack.

The escape of 4000 inmates last month from Kinshasa’s main high-security prison was blamed on a separatist sect.

Reuters