An attempted jailbreak at Congo’s main prison in the capital has left at least 129 people dead, most of them in a stampede, authorities said Tuesday.
Congolese Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani stated on social media platform X that a preliminary assessment revealed 24 inmates were shot dead by “warning” gunfire as they tried to escape from the overcrowded Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa early Monday. Shabani added that 59 people were injured and received government care, with reports of women being raped during the chaos. He confirmed that order has been restored at the prison, though part of the facility was burned in the attack.
Makala, Congo’s largest penitentiary, was built to house 1,500 inmates but currently holds more than 12,000, according to Amnesty International. Most of the prisoners are awaiting trial. The prison has a history of jailbreaks, including a 2017 incident when a religious sect freed dozens of inmates.
Residents reported hearing gunfire inside the prison from midnight Sunday into Monday morning. A senior government official initially reported only two deaths, a figure contested by rights activists.
Videos circulating online, purportedly from the prison, showed bodies strewn across the ground, many with visible injuries. Another video showed inmates carrying what appeared to be dead bodies into a vehicle.
There were no signs of forced entry into the prison, located in the city center about 3 miles from the presidential palace. The escape attempt was reportedly orchestrated by inmates in one of the prison wings, according to Deputy Justice Minister Mbemba Kabuya, who spoke to Top Congo FM radio.
In the aftermath of the incident, authorities cordoned off the road leading to the prison and convened a panel to investigate.
Activists have long criticized the overcrowding in Congolese prisons, where deaths from starvation are common. This year, the government released scores of inmates as part of efforts to ease overcrowding.
Justice Minister Constant Mutamba condemned the attack as a “premeditated act of sabotage” and vowed a stern response against those responsible. He also announced a ban on transferring inmates from Makala and outlined plans to build a new prison to address overcrowding.
