The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) interior minister Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo Bihango announced on Tuesday that an attempt to escape from Makala Central Prison resulted in the deaths of 129 individuals. According to the minister, 24 individuals were killed by gunfire after allegedly failing to heed warnings, while the remaining fatalities were caused by jostling or suffocation. Additionally, 59 individuals were injured during this escape attempt, with some reports of sexual assault.
Following a crisis meeting with defense and security service leaders, Minister Shabani expressed the government’s condolences to the victims’ families and indicated that investigations would continue. In the interim, the government is implementing measures to prohibit prisoner transfers and accelerate the construction of a new prison on the outskirts of the capital.
Constant Mutamba, the DRC’s justice minister, labeled the incident, which occurred during the early hours of Monday morning, as an act of premeditated sabotage. Although no prisoners succeeded in escaping, facilities including the infirmary and food depots were destroyed by fires amid the chaos. For more detailed information, visit the full article on JURIST.
Makala Central Prison, the largest prison in the DRC, has been described as having “generally appalling” conditions by Amnesty International. Originally built to accommodate 1,500 inmates, the facility is notorious for issues such as starvation and lack of drinking water. The DRC government has recently undertaken various measures to improve prison conditions, including plans for the conditional release of 7,000 prisoners. Efforts to reduce overcrowding are ongoing.