Gunmen from a Christian sect have stormed a prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, freeing their leader and about 50 other inmates, a government spokesman Lambert Mende has said, AFP news agency reports.
Shots were fired and vehicles torched as Ne Muanda Nsemi was freed from the jail in Kinshasa, witnesses said, according to the BBC on Wednesday.
Police are suspected to have shot dead several prisoners, witnesses added.
Mr Ne Muanda Nsemi is a self-styled prophet and the leader of an outlawed group seeking to revive the ancient Kongo kingdom, which was forcibly abolished in 1914, following Portuguese victory against a Congo revolt.
He was arrested, along with his three wives and son, in March following clashes between his supporters and police.
Mr Nsemi leads the Bundu dia Kongo movement, which is campaigning to restore a monarchy in parts of DR Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Angola and Gabon.
The group favors reviving the kingdom through secession from the above mentioned countries.
Mr Nsemi was an MP when he was arrested in Kinshasa after police accused him of inciting violence.
The BBC reports that a major operation is underway in Kinshasa to recapture the prisoners, adding that Rights groups say prisons in the country are over-crowded and badly guarded.
aaron@ugchristiannews.com
