Fatshimetrie, September 3, 2024 – The recent incident at Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, has sparked strong emotion and raised many questions about the management of penitentiary facilities in the country. The tragic escape attempt resulted in a heavy provisional death toll, with 129 people dead, 24 of whom were shot by security forces and the others who died of suffocation.
The Congolese authorities, under the leadership of the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Interior and Security, Jacquemain Shabani, immediately set up a crisis meeting to assess the situation. In the interest of full transparency, the Deputy Prime Minister released the official figures, also revealing that 59 prisoners were injured during the incident.
The shocking images from inside the prison, widely shared on social media, show inmates crammed together, suffocating in inhumane conditions. This tragedy highlights the glaring problem of prison overcrowding in the DRC, with Makala prison currently holding ten times more inmates than its initial capacity of 1,500.
The government has blamed prosecutors for their responsibility in the overcrowding of the penitentiary. It stressed that excessive pretrial detention goes against the principles of Congolese law, which stipulates that prison should be a last resort.
Faced with this humanitarian crisis, civil society is calling for a thorough investigation to shed full light on the events at Makala prison. While rumours of external involvement persist, the authorities have categorically denied any escape attempt organised by individuals outside the prison.
It has become imperative that concrete measures be taken to address the critical situation in Congolese prisons. The call for the construction of a new penitentiary outside the city is becoming increasingly urgent to ensure better care for prisoners and avoid such tragedies in the future.
In this period of mourning and questioning, the Democratic Republic of Congo must mobilize to guarantee respect for the fundamental rights of prisoners and implement structural reforms in the penitentiary system. The incident at Makala prison is a strong reminder of the urgent need for action to improve detention conditions and avoid new tragedies.
Let us ensure that these events serve as a catalyst for positive and lasting change in the Congolese prison system.