Prisoners Take Over Jail in CAR Capital

Issue behind rioting

One of the policemen standing guard outside the jail told VOA, on condition of anonymity, what he thought had sparked the protest.

The policeman said one of the prisoners had died of tuberculosis so the prisoners have, as he puts it, gone on strike. They are demanding their rights, he said, as some of them have been held there for 10 months without trial.

The policeman also said some prisoners had been firing at peacekeepers and throwing grenades, and one Burundian peacekeeper had been wounded.

As of midday Wednesday the situation was calm, but the standoff continued.

Police Lieutenant Leo Franck Gnapie is with the U.N. mission in the C.A.R.

Gnapie said the prisoners aren’t under control, as they are in the prison courtyard. But he insisted the prisoners are not outside and cannot get out because the jail has been sealed off.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *