Jump to content

Islamic State conducts second major prison break in Congo


Valin

Recommended Posts

islamic-state-conducts-second-major-prison-break-in-congo.php
FDD's Long War Journal

Caleb Weiss & Ryan O'Farrell

August 15, 2022

On Aug. 10, jihadists belonging to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the local name for the Islamic State’s Central Africa Province (ISCAP), raided the central prison in the eastern Congolese city of Butembo. The attack, the group’s first major foray inside Butembo, freed almost 800 inmates. This marks the second major prison break conducted by the group since 2020. 

The Islamic State was relatively quick to take credit, describing in a short communique released the next day through its Amaq News that “fighters of the Islamic State yesterday stormed the central Kakwangura prison in Butembo city in the territory of North Kivu of eastern Congo, succeeding in liberating dozens of Muslim prisoners.” 

(Snip)

The assault on Kakwangura prison comes in the context of significant instability in Butembo and surrounding areas. Protests demanding the withdrawal of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), the world’s largest UN peacekeeping mission, have spread to much of eastern Congo, and in Butembo resulted in the deaths of seven demonstrators and three peacekeepers on July 26

Another prison break in line with the Islamic State’s “Breaking the Walls”

Last week’s prison break in Butembo represents the second such operation conducted by the ADF since 2020. In Oct. 2020, the ADF raided the Kangbayi prison inside Beni city, to the north of Butembo, freeing at least 1,200 inmates. 

The ADF quickly claimed responsibility for that operation in the name of the Islamic State on its social media channels before the Islamic State issued its own formal communique. The ADF stated that Kangbayi raid was in response to a then-recent Islamic State call for the liberation of Muslim prisoners.

(Snip)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • 1711623054
×
×
  • Create New...