Kinshasa, DR Congo – September 4, 2024
An attempted prison break at Makala Prison in Kinshasa has resulted in 129 deaths, authorities confirmed. Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani reported that 24 prisoners died from bullet wounds after security forces fired warning shots early Monday morning. The remaining casualties died from suffocation caused by a crush during the escape attempt.
Despite initial reports of mass casualties, the government first claimed only two deaths occurred. The escape attempt marks the second major incident at Makala Prison, following a 2017 breakout where 4,000 inmates escaped.
Residents near the prison reported hearing gunshots between 1:00 and 5:00 a.m. on Monday. Daddi Soso, a resident, confirmed hearing gunfire and seeing security forces removing bodies from the scene. Efforts by journalists to access the prison were blocked by police, who secured the area.
Rights groups have called for an international investigation into the failed prison break. Footage from the aftermath shows a massive hole in a brick wall, charred buildings, and firemen working at the scene. Makala Prison, built in the 1950s with a capacity for 1,500 inmates, was holding over 14,000 prisoners at the time of the incident.
In 2020, a prison official described dire conditions at Makala Prison, including food shortages and poor hygiene, which led to inmate deaths. At that time, only 6% of prisoners were serving sentences, with the rest caught in DR Congo’s slow legal system. The justice minister has pledged to intensify efforts to decongest prisons nationwide.
