At least 129 dead in attempted escape from Democratic Republic of Congo’s largest prison

At least 129 people died during the escape attempt early Monday morning involving an undetermined number of inmates in the Makala Central Prison, the largest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and located in Kinshasa, the Congolese government reported.

“The provisional count is 129 dead, 24 of them by gunshots, “after being warned (by security forces), while the other victims died from being pushed or suffocated,” Congolese Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo said on Tuesday via social network X.

“There was also 59 injured who have been taken care of by the Government, as well as some cases of raped women,” he added.

The minister also regretted the “isignificant material damage” suffered, since during the events, the prison’s administrative buildings, the infirmary and the food warehouses, among others, were set on fire.

“The Government is satisfied with the return to calm, deplores these tragic events and offers its condolences. to the families of the victims“, Lukoo said, stressing that an investigation has been launched to clarify what happened.

“I have called a crisis meeting with the heads of the defence and security services,” he added.

On Monday, Congolese Deputy Minister of Justice Mbemba Kabuya had reported only two deaths, confirming that the prison had not been attacked from outside.

“It is more of a rebellion movement “which began precisely in Hall 4,” Kabuya said in statements reported by local media.

The attempted escape was confirmed earlier to EFE by Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya.

This is not the first escape attempt from this prison.

“The police were sent very early to contain this movement in the middle of the night. There were many warning shots and, as I speak, I believe that the security forces are inside the Makala central prison compound to try to restore order,” Muyaya told EFE by telephone. He is currently in Beijing to accompany the country’s president, Félix Tshisekedi, to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The events occurred at around 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT) in the commune of Selembao, in southern Kinshasa, where, according to neighbors, gunshots could be heard all night.

Makala prison was the scene of a 2017 a mass escape of some 4,500 prisoners during the attack on the prison by followers of the Bundu Dia Kongo sect to free their leader, Mwana Nsemi.

Makala prison is the largest in the DRC and is overcrowded, housing more than 15,000 prisoners in different wards, although it has a maximum capacity of 1,500 people.

EFE