I kept in touch with my son untill midnight yesterday evening. Norwegian FO was rather slow in understanding what was going on, and so was the British Foreign Office. Last night was pretty bad in the prison. The prisoners were wildly burning everything that could be burned including documents etc. Josh said the whole prison was pretty damaged except for their cell which the prisoners did not dare to touch. A major, the next in command in the Military Justice in Kisangani was hit. That happened today as far as I know. But I have not had that confirmed.
Severe situation in Kisangani
The problems started yesterday (Sunday 27th of November) around 17.00 hours when the military and civil prisoners started to fight each other. After some time peace settled down and Josh and Tjostolv opened the clinic with the help of two Congolese to help the injured. Then the police tried to get into the prison and the prisoners turned on them with stones etc. The police used weapons and tear gass but did not succeed in entering the prison properly. I am not sure when the Red Cross came into the picture bringing injured prisoners to the hospital. Several prisoners escaped but all apparently have been captured except for one. But this might not be true as the prison director has said that the police and guards are inside the prison now, which they are not. They are outside the walls.
The electricity was turned out by those ”outside”, but they forgot to turn off the water for which everyone inside of the prison are thankful for. As far as I understood on JOsh the electricity is back now. (a gesture of good will!)
Today there has been negotiations between the prisoners and the prison authorities and other authorities, but nothing came out of it. About 13.00 the Red Cross managed to calm the situation and was allowed to bring in a lot of food. This brough some peace. According to minister councel Alida Endresen, Monusco (the name of UN in Congo) has been in contact with both the minister of Justice and police the whole day to negotiate a solution without using hard means. I do not know what the prisoners demands are. The governor is planning to visit the prison tomorrow.
Josh and Mike (Tjostolv) have kept out of the whole matter except for treating some prisoners. They have stayed in the cell and try to monitor everything from there. The biggest problem is that the credit on the mobile card will not last too long more, but Alida is working on that problem.
At the moment of writing the police and military are outside of the prison while the prisoners are ruling themselves as usual inside the prison walls.
The election in Congo has found place to day but I have simply not had time to follow it.
Kari Hilde French, 28th of November 2011
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