DRC rebel leader freed in pre-dawn attack on prison

REBELS from an outlawed political religious group attacked Kinshasa’s central prison yesterday, breaking out their leader and about 50 other prisoners, the Democratic Republic of Congo said.

The pre-dawn attack was carried out by a secessionist rebel group which rejects the authority of President Joseph Kabila’s government and wants to set up a parallel state in the west of the country.

The date chosen for the assault was highly symbolic – a public holiday marking 20 years since the overthrow of Mobutu Sese Seko, who had ruled the country with an iron fist for more than three decades.

Mobutu was ousted by rebel commander Laurent Desire Kabila, who changed the country’s name from Zaire to Democratic Republic of Congo and is the president’s father.

“Followers of the Bundu Dia Kongo (BDK) attacked Makala prison at dawn and broke out around 50 prisoners including their guru, Ne Muanda Nsemi,” government spokesman Lambert Mende said.

An MP, Nsemi is the spiritual leader of the BDK which is based in the southwest and seeks the restoration of the former Congolese kingdom inside pre-colonial boundaries that would include parts of Angola, Congo and Gabon.

In a video posted online in February, Nsemi called for an insurrection against Kabila after an abortive attempt at reconciliation.

He was arrested in March following a violent two week siege of his home.

The government has blamed his followers for a string of violent attacks since the start of the year.

Yesterday’s daring assault began just before dawn, with residents saying there were prolonged exchanges of fire.

According to one escaped prisoner, the operation began at around 4am (5am South African time) with around 100 prisoners fleeing.

One of the prisoners on the run said he had managed to escape during violent clashes between the attackers and prison guards.

By around 8.30am, a column of thick black smoke could be seen rising over Makala prison, with dozens of police and soldiers blocking off all access to the facility.

Several hours later, police were seen escorting 13 escaped prisoners back to the facility.

A city official said the women’s section was empty.

“All the inmates have escaped,” he said, without saying how many women had been detained there.

Official sources said there are more than 8 000 prisoners locked up in Makala, which was built to house just 3 000 detainees when the country was under Belgian rule from 1908 to 1960.