The death toll following a brutal storming from Rawandan-backed rebels in the Congolese city of Goma has neared 3,000 after hundreds of women were raped then burned alive during a mass jailbreak.
Hundreds of women were sexually assaulted before being butchered during a mass jail break from the Munzenze jail last week, as M23 fighters clashed with the Congolese army during deadly gun battles.
The atrocity saw female inmates slain in their wing in the notoriously overcrowded prison after men forced their way in and went on a rampage.
But speaking during a UN press briefing on Wednesday, Vivian van de Perre, the deputy head of the UN peacekeeping force in Goma revealed a staggering 2,900 bodies have been retrieved so far amid the chaos.
Ms Van de Perre said some 2,000 dead bodies had been collected from the streets of Goma in recent days, with another 900 in hospital morgues.
Describing the carnage, she said the figure is expected to increase in the coming days.
‘There are still many decomposing bodies in certain areas so the WHO is really worried about what kind of epidemic outbreaks that can contribute to,’ Ms Van de Perre chillingly added.
During the mass jailbreak, thousands of male criminals managed to flee, but the area reserved for women was torched to the ground.
Images taken shortly after M23 fighters reached the centre of Goma showed vast plumes of black smoke rising from the jail on January 27, as long lines of men sprinted away from the inferno.
It’s unclear who was behind the slaughter of the female inmates as UN peacekeepers have been barred from entering the site by M23 rebels.
Ms Van de Perre added: ‘They have not been able to verify firsthand all the numbers and what exactly transpired, again, because of the situation in Goma which makes it very difficult for us to go out and move around’.
Earlier reports suggested at least 141 jailed women were murdered, along with 28 young children who had been in detention with their mothers.
‘There was a major prison breakout of 4,000 escaped prisoners. A few hundred women were also in that prison… They were all raped and then they set fire to the women’s wing. They all died afterwards,’ she said.
Local reports claim that during the mayhem, inmates were gunned down by guards as they attempted to stop the mass break out.
A week on from the rampage and the Munzenze jail lies in ruins and is completely empty, with the guards having deserted their posts.
A large part of the facility has been destroyed by blaze, including the prison administration’s office. The prison was also looted in the wake of the escape.
Prior to the incident, Munzenze Central Prison housed around 4,400 inmates, well beyond its capacity.
On Tuesday it emerged that 2,000 bodies were still awaiting burial in Goma after the M23 rebels seized the city, which is the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s North Kivu province.
In a disturbing new claim following the uprising, the UN office of the high commissioner for human rights (OHCHR) warned that sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war by rival armed groups in Goma.
The city, home to one million people, is now under the complete control of M23 fighters.
On Monday the rebel group declared a ceasefire would begin on Tuesday for ‘humanitarian reasons’.
The alliance of rebel groups – known as the ‘Congo River Alliance’, which M23 is a member of – has previously accused the Congolese military of killing people using aircrafts to bomb areas it holds.
The organisation added it does not intend to seize any further territory, despite saying otherwise last week, and it will hold its positions.
In a statement, the alliance said: ‘We reiterate our commitment to protecting and defending the civilian population and our positions.’
Prior to this, fears had been mounting that that Rwanda was determined to take more territory from its vast neighbour, with M23 forces steadily pushing south towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province 120 miles from the besieged Goma.
Responding to news of the unexpected ceasefire, Ms Van de Perre said: ‘I hope it stays that way because they [M23] were already moving in the direction of Bukavu with reinforcements and heavy weaponry, which can be seen passing [along] the streets in Goma.
‘If they retreat, that’s good news. Otherwise, we’ll have a new clash with potentially thousands of additional deaths.’
Regional conflict has seen hundreds of thousands of people displaced over the last three years.
Since the start of 2025, more than 400,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes, according to the UN’s refugee agency.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame – who also heads up the Rwanda Defence Force – said he did not know if his country’s troops were in the DR Congo.
‘There are many things I don’t know. But if you want to ask me, is there a problem in Congo that concerns Rwanda? And that Rwanda would do anything to protect itself? I’d say 100 per cent,’ he told CNN on Monday.
Meanwhile, human rights groups have been calling for more pressure on Rwanda to back down.
The DR Congo’s communications minister called for the international community to impose sanctions on Rwanda.
‘A strong decision (must be taken) not only to condemn, but to stop what Rwanda is doing, because it is not acceptable if you want to preserve peace in Africa and in our region,’ Patrick Muyaya told Reuters.
‘Sanctions are the minimum,’ he added.