Military inmates riot at Beni prison demanding salaries

Tensions flared at the Kangbayi urban prison in Beni, North Kivu, on Friday, July 3, following a mutiny by military inmates demanding payment of their salaries. Prison sources reported that the inmates asserted their right to receive their pay while awaiting conviction.

The unrest erupted around 11:20 AM local time, with several FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) military detainees reportedly climbing onto the prison roof to protest their grievances. Guards responded with warning shots before FARDC and police reinforcements arrived to quell the situation. The tension persisted in the facility until early afternoon.

Sources indicated that the mutineers set fire to mattresses in the detention blocks and vandalized the video surveillance system, which had been recently upgraded with additional cameras. Two administrative offices within the prison were also damaged. The surveillance system was installed by MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) about a year ago.

Security and judicial authorities from Beni visited the site to assess the situation. As of late afternoon, no precise casualty figures were available, and access to the prison interior remained restricted. Radio Okapi was unable to obtain comments from military or prison authorities regarding the incident.