Congolese security forces have announced that they have regained control of Makala prison in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, at a very high human cost.
The toll is atrociously heavy for an escape attempt. During the night from Sunday to Monday, more than a hundred people died while trying, according to the Congolese authorities, to escape from Makala prison, the largest prison in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The first shots were heard around two in the morning. “The provisional human toll stands at 129 dead, including 24 by gunfire after warning,” said Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani in a video released to the press.
According to him, some of them died “by jostling, suffocation.” The latest figures also show 59 injured, who were taken “in charge of the government for appropriate care” added Jacquemain Shabani. In the early morning, Daddi Soso, an electrician in his forties who was present at the scene, claims to have seen bodies being transported by police vehicles. The minister also mentioned “some women raped”without giving further details on the circumstances and their identity.
Mid-morning Monday, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya assured on national television that the situation was “under control”No details have been released on the number of inmates who attempted to escape, or on those responsible for the escape attempt.
Significant damage
There was also material damage: the buildings housing the administrative services, the registry, the infirmary and the food depot were set on fire during the night. Considerable damage, according to information from Patient Ligodi, RFI correspondent in Kinshasa. The Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba, denounced premeditated sabotage. He indicated on Monday that investigations were underway. “to identify and severely punish the sponsors of these acts of sabotage.”
In 2017, a nighttime attack by armed men led to the escape of more than 4,000 inmates. Makala Prison, which is designed to hold 1,500 prisoners, is seriously overcrowded. According to official statistics, between 14,000 and 15,000 inmates are incarcerated there.
