Thousands of prisoners at Munzenze Prison facility in Goma, the capital city of North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo may have set themselves free after M23 rebels took control of Goma early morning on Monday with videos posted online showing civilians flooding back to Goma and welcoming the M23 rebels in a rousing manner.

Munzenze Prison, considered as one of the worst prison facilities in the World which as of 2020 was having more than 2,400 mostly male prisoners, for a custodian facility which was built for a capacity of just 150.

“The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s main prisons are filled at 432 percent on average, according to MoNUSCO, the United Nations peacekeeping force in the country, making them among the most overcrowded in the world”, according to Aljazeera report in 2020.

Videos showed Goma residents running and cheering in celebration, welcoming M23 rebel group soldiers after they captured the North Kivu provincial capital on Monday.

The Munzenze prison which is currently estimated to hold approximately 3,000 inmates was apparently set ablaze as fleeing prisoners were seen in the surrounding streets.

Videos showed the prisoners running out of the facility unchallenged while a thick black smoke was seen billowing from a section of the prison facility.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MoNUSCO) staff and their families have arrived at the Grande Barrière border from Goma, fleeing the fighting after the town was seized by the M23 rebel group, on Monday.

Earlier today, we reported that one of the most troubled countries in Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo government has begged civilian residents in the country to flood streets today Monday, 27 January 2025 just as M23 rebels are now in control of Goma, after killing the Congolese military commander, over nine South Africa soldiers, a total of 12 UN Peacekeepers, forcing other Congolese soldiers to surrender their weapons before the 3:00am Monday 27, 2025 deadline set.

Few hours ago, local media reported with photographs, wherein, men of the Armed Forces of Democratic Republic of Congo were seen handing over their weapons to UN Peacekeepers in Goma city before the 3:00am deadline set by the M23 rebels who have issued evacuation order for all Congolese military and foreign soldiers to leave the Goma city as they closed Goma airspace.

Congolese Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba in response to the M23 rebels advancing postures, issued statements via his X Social media handle, calling and begging civilian residents in the Democratic Republic of Congo to take to the streets in Kinshasa, the Congo capital today Monday 27 January 2025 to take charge to free the country from M23 rebels.

“I call for a PoPULAR MaRCH against Rwandan aggression this Monday, January 27, 2025 in Kinshasa starting at 9am. Let us take charge to free our lands from the hands of the invader. Homeland or death, we will win.

Alongside President Tshisekedi, we will fight until the supreme sacrifice to defend our dear homeland, the land of our ancestors. I invite the population to take to the streets to denounce this Rwandan aggression imposed on us by the forces of evil. Homeland or death, we will win”, the Congolese Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba stated.

On Sunday, thousands of civilians had fled the town of Goma in the North Kivu region in order to survive using any possible means, as M23 militias advanced swiftly posing a serious threat to the town.

The South Africa National Defence Force, SANDF in a media statement on Saturday had claimed that his men and his counterparts have pushed back the M23 rebels advancing towards Goma in the Eastern Republic of Congo but on Sunday,  the South Africa military formation announced the killing of nine of his men by the M23 rebels in Goma.

In a media statement, the South Africa military formation said: “Parliament, Sunday, 26 January 2025- The Joint Standing Committee on Defence has learnt with sadness the death of nine members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after the intense confrontation with M23 rebel group in that
country.

The soldiers formed part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

While the committee acknowledges the gallant resistance by our forces, the
loss of nine members of the SANDF is serious and requires investigation to
prevent recurrence.

Some of the issues that must be looked into include the combat preparedness, defence intelligence capabilities and specifically the availability of combat support equipment including air support and ammunition, said Mr Malusi Gigaba, the Co-Chairperson of the committee.

The Joint Standing Committee on Defence of the 6th Parliament raised concern regarding serviceability of Prime Mission Equipment and readiness of the mission for deployment. The capacitation of our soldiers is a primary obligation that the SANDF must ensure.

This is one area of oversight the committee aims to enhance in the 7th Parliament to ensure that the SANDF has adequate equipment to respond to any eventuality.

Due to the seriousness of the matter, the committee will urgently schedule a meeting to get a full briefing on the incident as well as the overall status of the deployment.

“It is important that we get a full briefing from the Minister, the Acting Secretary of Defence and the Chief of the SANDF not only on the incident but also on the status of the mission and the availably of adequate equipment for SANDF members deployed in DRC and in any mission, said Mr Phiroane Phala, the Co-Chairperson of the committee.

The Co-Chairpersons extended the committee’s heartfelt condolences to the
bereaved families of members who lost their lives and wish soldiers who were
injured a speedy recovery.

Furthermore, the Chairpersons assured the families that the committee wil use its interaction with the department to find answers to understand what occurred and to use its ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity of the SANDF”

M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Monday morning said they have taken over Goma, according to a news report by a Skynews reporter in Goma City some hours ago.

According to local media, the escalating and advancing combat staged early this year by M23 rebels has been a major conflict to have erupted in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marking one of the deadliest attacks on peacekeepers in recent years.

As at on Sunday, at least 12 peacekeepers, including nine South African and three Malawian soldiers, were killed during clashes with M23 rebels.

The rebels, primarily of Tutsi ethnicity, have encircled Goma, a key city with two million residents and a vital humanitarian hub, attacking from several fronts, killing Congolese and the Foreign soldiers before the city finally fell to their control on Monday after other coalition forces surrendered theirs arms as demanded by the rebel group.

Meanwhile, the Rwandan government has expressed concerns about statements issued by various parties on the security crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where the M23 rebels have intensified their offensive attacks since early January.

“Misguided or manipulative statements do not provide any solutions,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned in a statement issued on Sunday, January 26, 2025.

“The ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, particularly the recent heavy fighting around Goma, was triggered by constant violations of the ceasefire by the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) in coalition with UN-sanctioned genocidal militia FDLR, European mercenaries, ethnic militias (Wazalendo), Burundian armed forces, SAMIDRC forces as well as MoNUSCO troops.”

The Rwanda Foreign Ministry noted that the United Nations had confirmed in their reports that the late Major General Peter Cirimwami, the Military Governor of North Kivu who was killed during fighting around Sake, served as liaison with the FDLR and was responsible for sabotaging planned operations by the FARDC to neutralize the leaders of the FDLR.

“This fighting close to the Rwandan border continues to present a serious threat to Rwanda’s security and territorial integrity, and necessitates Rwanda’s sustained defensive posture,” the ministry said.

We had earlier in the month reported that M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo early this year advanced and seized the town of Masisi, same period the Congolese government sent 172 death row prisoners to executioners with 102 already confirmed executed while the government kept mum on the third batch of 70 prisoners including the May 19, 2024 37 coup plotters who were convicted and sentenced to death in September, 2024 just as the country Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba threatened journalists with death penalty if they relayed the activities of armed group he described as Rwanda army and its M23 auxiliaries.