More Than 1,300 Inmates Escape From Prison in Eastern Congo

Civilians stand outside the Kangbayi central prison in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Erikas Mwisi Kambale
Civilians stand outside the Kangbayi central prison in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Erikas Mwisi Kambale
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More Than 1,300 Inmates Escape From Prison in Eastern Congo

Civilians stand outside the Kangbayi central prison in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Erikas Mwisi Kambale
Civilians stand outside the Kangbayi central prison in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Erikas Mwisi Kambale

More than 1,300 inmates have escaped from the central prison of Beni in eastern Congo after an attack by rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces, the town's mayor said Tuesday.

Mayor Modeste Bakwanamaha said that one inmate had died in the attack on Kangbayi prison, according to The Associated Press.

"We call on the population to report any suspicious person who may be an escaped prisoner," he said.

The mayor said that 20 of the escaped prisoners had already returned, preferring incarceration to life with the rebels.

"Those who came back say that they were taken by force. They say they had to escape from their abductors, the ADF, because they did not want to live as enemies in the bush," said Bakwanamaha.

News of the Kangbayi jailbreak angered locals, who feared the mass escape could further exacerbate violence in the area.

"It is a danger to the community of Beni," said resident Sadi Amundala. "We would like our government to improve the conditions of life in prisons and also strengthen the police and military presence to prevent future escapes."

The escape comes three years after another attack on the Kangbayi prison in which about 100 inmates had fled and dozens were killed.

The Allied Democratic Forces rebel group, known as the ADF, originated in Uganda and has long been a threat in eastern Congo. The ISIS group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the prison attack, in an announcement on its Amaq news agency. The ISIS group has recently claimed some attacks carried out by ADF rebels but the exact relationship between the two groups is not clear.



EU's Von der Leyen Announces 500 Mln Euro Package to Lure Top Researchers to Europe

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the "Choose Europe for Science" conference at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, on May 5, 2025. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes / POOL / AFP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the "Choose Europe for Science" conference at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, on May 5, 2025. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes / POOL / AFP)
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EU's Von der Leyen Announces 500 Mln Euro Package to Lure Top Researchers to Europe

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the "Choose Europe for Science" conference at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, on May 5, 2025. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes / POOL / AFP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the "Choose Europe for Science" conference at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, on May 5, 2025. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes / POOL / AFP)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday a 500 million euros ($566.6 million) incentive package to boost European science research, as Europe hopes to lure top US scientists disgruntled with President Donald Trump.
"Science is an investment – and we need to offer the right incentives. This is why I can announce that we will put forward a new 500 million euros package for 2025-2027 to make Europe a magnet for researchers," she said at a speech in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
"We are choosing to put research and innovation, science and technology, at the heart of our economy. We are choosing to be the continent where universities are pillars of our societies and our way of life," she added.
She also said she wanted EU-member states to invest 3% of gross domestic product in research and development by 2030, Reuters reported.
Last month, Macron and Von der Leyen said they would be looking to invite scientists and researchers from the world over to Europe, at a time when Trump's administration is threatening to cut federal funding for Harvard and other US universities.
In April, France also launched the "Choose France for Science" platform, operated by the French National Research Agency (ANR), which enables universities, schools, and research organizations to apply for co-funding from the government to host researchers.