A new video shows charred bodies left inside a female prison block in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where hundreds of women were rapëd before being burned alive.
The atrocity took place during a mass jail break from the Munzenze jail in late January, as M23 fighters clashed with the Congolese army during deadly gun battles.
According to the UN, female inmates were butchered in their wing in the notoriously overcrowded prison after men forced their way in and went on a rampage.
While thousands of male criminals managed to flee, the area reserved for women was torched to the ground, Vivian van de Perre, the deputy head of the UN peacekeeping force in Goma, said.
Now, a Channel 4 news team documented the horrific aftermath as the Red Cross undertook work to carefully remove the desecrated bodies.
The crew filmed on as aid workers clad in white PPE methodically put bodies into bags for further investigation.
With them was a grieving woman, Keren Mwami, who tragically stumbled upon a loved ones’ remains.
‘I’m sure my mother and sister’s bodies are here. I’ve checked the morgue and the churches, and they’re not there’, the woman told Red Cross workers as she walked into the room.
One worker said in response: ‘Have a look, we are taking them all outside.’
After looking around for just a second, she appeared to find her sister’s body. Quietly, she said: ‘This is my sister. You can see her braids.’
