At least 129 people have lost their lives in an attempted mass breakout from the largest prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting prisons in the central African country.
The breakout attempt took place at Makala Central Prison, located in the capital, Kinshasa, around 2 a.m. local time (9 p.m. ET) on Monday, according to Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo Bihango.
“The provisional human toll stands at 129 dead including 24 by gunshot after warning. The others died by jostling, suffocation and some women were raped,” Bihango reported.
He also noted that 59 individuals were receiving medical treatment.
A Kinshasa resident, Daddi Soso, told Agence France-Presse that gunfire echoed for several hours during the event, and he later observed security vehicles transporting bodies from the scene.
Graphic videos circulating on social media showed dozens of bloodied bodies lying on the ground.
The central Sahel region, including Niger and neighboring countries, faces an escalating jihadist threat that has intensified since 2012.
Footage from the interior ministry displayed significant damage to multiple prison buildings. A large hole, likely created by the removal of bricks, was seen in one of the exterior walls, while other structures were left blackened and charred.
Additional video from within the prison revealed several ransacked areas, with debris, burnt office furniture, and papers scattered across the floor.
The interior minister stated that numerous prison facilities, including offices, the registry, the infirmary, and food depots, were destroyed in fires during the breakout attempt.
In response, Minister Bihango convened a crisis meeting with the nation’s defense and security services on Tuesday, following directives from the country’s “senior hierarchy.”
The government expressed relief over the “restored calm,” Bihango said, adding that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Makala prison housed over 12,000 inmates, primarily pretrial detainees, prior to the breakout attempt, despite the facility’s capacity being limited to 1,500, as highlighted in a recent Amnesty International report criticizing the “appalling” conditions at the prison.
Justice Minister Constant Mutamba, in a statement on social media Monday, condemned the attempted prison break as a “pre-meditated act of sabotage.”
In response to the incident, Mutamba has prohibited public prosecutors from transferring any inmates to Makala prison “until further notice” and announced additional measures aimed at addressing overcrowding in the country’s prisons.
Prison breaks have become increasingly common in the DRC, with several attacks on correctional facilities in recent years.
In 2017, over 50 inmates, including the leader of a religious sect, escaped from Makala prison following an invasion by the group.
In 2020, a jailbreak linked to an ISIS-affiliated rebel group in Beni, northeastern DRC, resulted in the escape of nearly 1,000 inmates and the deaths of at least 11 people, including security personnel.
The following year, Matadi prison, one of the oldest in the country, experienced a breakout that saw 189 prisoners escape. More than 200 detainees fled the same prison in 2022 after taking control of weapons from the facility’s armory.
