129 die in DR Congo jailbreak attempt

129 die in DR Congo jailbreak attempt

At least 129 prisoners were killed in a failed escape attempt from the central Makala prison in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), authorities reported.

Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo announced on Tuesday that the incident occurred on Monday when a fire broke out, engulfing the prison’s administrative buildings, including the infirmary.

The chaos during the fire led to a mass breakout attempt, which ended in tragedy.

Lukoo disclosed that of the 129 fatalities, 24 were shot after warnings were issued. An additional 59 people were injured in the incident, which also caused significant material damage to the facility.

Makala prison, the DRC’s largest, was built to house 1,500 inmates but currently holds between 14,000 and 15,000 detainees.

Overcrowding has been a longstanding issue, with most of the inmates still awaiting trial, according to Amnesty International.

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This is not the first escape attempt from Makala prison; in 2017, over 4,000 prisoners fled after an armed assault on the facility.

Efforts had been underway to alleviate overcrowding, including the recent release of dozens of inmates.

Justice Minister Constant Mutamba described the incident as a “premeditated act of sabotage” aimed at destabilizing ongoing efforts to improve prison conditions.

He vowed that those responsible for orchestrating the escape attempt would be identified and face severe consequences.

In response to the incident, authorities have imposed a ban on inmate transfers from Makala prison and are planning to build a new facility to help mitigate overcrowding issues.

Meanwhile, calm has reportedly been restored at the prison following the violence.

President Felix Tshisekedi, who is currently on an official visit to China, has yet to publicly comment on the incident.

129 die in DR Congo jailbreak attempt