At least 129 people were killed during an attempted escape from Makala Prison, the largest correctional facility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and located in Kinshasa.
The incident occurred early Monday morning and has been described as one of the deadliest in the prison’s history.
Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo stated that the escape attempt was triggered by a fire that broke out in the prison’s administrative buildings, including the infirmary. During the chaos, 24 inmates were shot dead by security forces after warnings were ignored, and the remaining deaths were caused by suffocation in overcrowded conditions as prisoners attempted to flee. Furthermore, 59 people were reported injured.
Lukoo, who described the damage as “significant,” stated that calm had returned after the incident. To address the situation, he called a crisis meeting with the defense and security services. Despite the government’s prompt response, President Felix Tshisekedi, who is currently in China on official business, has made no public comments.
Makala Prison, which was built to house 1,500 inmates, is severely overcrowded, with current numbers ranging between 14,000 and 15,000 detainees, the majority of whom are awaiting trial. Similar incidents have occurred at the prison in the past, including a mass breakout in 2017 when over 4,000 prisoners escaped after being attacked by armed men.
Justice Minister Constant Mutamba condemned the latest escape attempt, describing it as a “premeditated act of sabotage” designed to undermine efforts to improve prison conditions. He declared an immediate moratorium on inmate transfers from Makala Prison and announced plans to build a new facility as part of larger efforts to reduce overcrowding.
Investigations are underway to identify the perpetrators of the attempted escape, with authorities promising to impose harsh penalties on those involved.
Aljazeera, Reuters and the Guardian contributed to this report.
