An escape attempt at Makala Central Prison, the largest correctional facility in the Democratic Republic of Congo, led to the death of 129 individuals in the early hours of Monday, September 2, 2024, according to official reports. This incident brought to light the severe overcrowding and appalling conditions in the prison, which accommodates over 12,000 inmates, despite being designed to hold only 1,500.
The turmoil started shortly after midnight on Sunday when shots were heard within the prison and echoed through the nearby residential area. “Shots were ringing out everywhere,” reported Stéphane Matondo, a local who resides close to the prison. Military vehicles were rapidly dispatched to the scene, and the main access route to the prison was cordoned off.
The Interior Minister of Congo, Jacquemin Shabani, stated that 24 inmates died from gunshot wounds inflicted by guards who fired warning shots as prisoners attempted to flee. The remaining deaths were due to a stampede that occurred within the cramped facility, which was partially burned during the incident. Shabani also reported that 59 injured inmates were provided medical attention by the government. He mentioned “some cases of women raped” but offered no further details.
While the official death count has been announced, some activists speculate that the real figure could be considerably higher. Emmanuel Adu Cole, a notable prisoner rights advocate in Congo and the president of the Bill Clinton Peace Foundation, suggested that the actual death count exceeded 200. Cole suggested that numerous individuals were shot, based on video footage and eyewitness accounts from inside the prison. However, these videos have yet to be independently confirmed.
Makala Central Prison has been plagued by violence and disorder in the past, including a 2017 event when a religious sect invaded the facility and released numerous prisoners. The overcrowded and unsanitary conditions continue to cause increasing dissatisfaction among the prisoners, the majority of whom are waiting for their trials.
In the aftermath of this latest incident, Justice Minister Constant Mutamba described the attempted jailbreak as a deliberate act of sabotage and pledged a firm response. His deputy, Samuel Mbemba Kabuya, blamed the judiciary for the overcrowding, arguing that the practice of imprisoning individuals at the early stages of their trials has worsened the dire conditions at Makala.
The government has pledged to take steps to reduce the overcrowding, including the construction of a new prison and a prohibition on transferring additional inmates to Makala. However, human rights activists remain doubtful, pointing to the ongoing neglect and mistreatment within Congo’s penal system.
