Gunmen from a Christian sect have stormed a prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, freeing their leader and around 50 other inmates, the BBC reports.
Ne Muanda Nsemi was freed from the jail in Kinshasa on Wednesday, escaping as shots were fired and vehicles torched.
Amid the conflict, police are suspected to have shot dead several prisoners.
Nsemi is renowned for being a “self-styled” prophet and the leader of an outlawed group seeking to revive the ancient Kongo kingdom.
He was originally arrested in March, along with his three wives and son, following clashes between his supporters and police.
Nsemi is seen as the leader of the Bundu dia Kongo movement, a campaign to restore a monarchy in parts of DR Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Angola and Gabon.
He was an MP when he was arrested in Kinshasa after police accused him on inciting violence, the BBC reports.
“Followers of the Bundu Dia Kongo attacked Makala prison at dawn and broke out around 50 prisoners including their guru, Ne Muanda Nsemi,” government spokesman Lambert Mende said in an interview with AFP.
A major operation is underway in Kinshasa to recapture the prisoners, says a witness. Who also saw Red Cross officials loading the bodies of several prisoners into vehicles and transporting them to the town morgue.
According to the BBC, rights groups say prisons in the country are over-crowded and badly guarded.
