Seventeen inmates at Kangbayi central prison in Beni (North Kivu) lost their lives between August and September 2023, according to a recent report from the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO). This raid carried out by the UNJHRO highlights the serious deterioration of prison conditions in this prison, particularly over the last three months.
Beni prison faces a supply problem from the government, which has led to several cases of malnutrition and other illnesses among inmates. The seventeen deaths recorded since August took place either in the prison infirmary or at the Beni general referral hospital where inmates are transferred for care.
According to the UNJHRO report, the majority of the deceased detainees were defendants awaiting trial by the civil and military judicial authorities of Beni. The charges against them included simple theft, illegal fishing, criminal conspiracy, rape, murder and participation in an insurrectional movement.
This alarming situation is not specific to Kangbayi Prison. Indeed, over a period of eight months, more than 80 prisoners lost their lives in the central prisons of Goma, Masisi and Walikale, in the south of the province of North Kivu. Precarious living conditions, food insecurity, chronic illnesses, torture between detainees and dilapidated buildings are described in the report drawn up by five human rights organizations.
The trend towards prison overcrowding and administrative slowness in processing cases contribute to worsening the situation. Human rights organizations advocate the establishment of mixed systems for rapid processing of cases and an end to arbitrary arrests.
Faced with this reality, it is essential that the authorities become more involved in improving prison conditions, not only in North Kivu but throughout the country. It is also crucial to raise public awareness of this issue and mobilize the necessary resources to guarantee respect for the human rights and dignity of detainees.
It is time to act to end this silent tragedy unfolding in the prisons of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The life of every inmate matters, and it is our duty to ensure that justice and humanity prevail even behind bars.