At least 129 people died in a prison break in Congo

Congo's Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani said on social media X on September 3 that a provisional assessment showed that 24 prisoners were shot dead with "warning" shots as they tried to escape from the overcrowded Makala Central Prison in the capital Kinshasa early on September 2.

“In addition, 59 injured people were treated by the authorities, as well as some cases of women being raped,” he said, adding that order had been restored at the prison. Part of the prison was set on fire in the attack.

Congolese police and UN soldiers stand guard after the incident at Makala prison. Photo: AFP

Residents said gunfire inside the prison began around midnight on September 1 and continued into the morning of September 2. There was no sign of any illegal entry into the prison, located in the city center, 5 kilometers from the presidential palace.

Deputy Justice Minister Mbemba Kabuya said the escape attempt was planned from inside the prison by inmates in one of the prison blocks. In the hours after the attack, the road to the prison was blocked while authorities convened a board to investigate the incident.

Makala Prison has a capacity of 1,500 inmates but currently holds between 14,000 and 15,000, most of whom are awaiting trial, according to official figures. The facility has seen previous jailbreaks, including in 2017, when more than 4,000 inmates escaped after a nighttime attack by armed men.

Makala, along with other prisons in Congo, is so overcrowded that people often starve to death. Dozens of prisoners have been released this year as part of efforts to lighten the prison load.

Justice Minister Constant Mutamba called the attack a "deliberate act of sabotage", adding that those "inciting these acts of sabotage... will face a stern response".

He also announced a ban on transferring inmates out of prisons and said the government would build a new prison, among other efforts to reduce overcrowding.

Ngoc Anh (according to AP, Al Jazeera)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/it-nhat-129-nguoi-thiet-mang-trong-vu-vuot-nguc-o-congo-post310395.html