The attempted escape occurred on September 2, 2024, at Makala Central Prison located in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC. According to Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo, 129 inmates lost their lives during the escape attempt. Alongside the fatalities, 59 inmates were reported injured. The deaths were a combination of gunfire, suffocation and injuries.
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The escape attempt coincided with a fire that broke out in the prison’s administrative buildings including the infirmary. The panic caused a stampede among the prisoners leading to a huge number of deaths by suffocation as inmates were trapped in overcrowded and confined spaces.
Security forces reportedly fired warning shots to control the situation. These warning shots resulted in the deaths of 24 inmates who were attempting to flee.
The fire caused damage to the prison’s infrastructure, destroying the administrative buildings, the registry, the hospital and food storage facilities.
DRC Makala Central Prison was originally designed to house 1,500 inmates. However, at the time of the incident, the prison was holding between 14,000 to 15,000 inmates nearly ten times its capacity.
A huge proportion of the inmates at Makala are individuals awaiting trial. The prison has a history of similar incidents. In 2017, over 4,000 inmates escaped following an attack by armed men, which also resulted in a large number of casualties.
DRC Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo held an emergency meeting with defense and security services. The situation was later reported to be under control.
DRC Justice Minister Constant Mutamba condemned the incident as a premeditated act of sabotage aimed at destabilizing efforts to improve prison conditions.
He assured that those responsible for orchestrating the escape would face severe punishment. The DRC government has launched a thorough investigation to identify the instigators and to understand the root causes of the incident.
The prison experienced heavy gunfire and a stampede as inmates attempted to flee. Videos from the scene revealed bodies on the ground.
A fire broke out in several areas within the prison including the administrative building, food depots and a hospital.
The road leading to the prison was cordoned off as authorities initiated a response to the situation. The government has since stated that the situation is under control.
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DRC Makala Central Prison is designed to house 1,500 inmates but currently holds over 12,000, according to Amnesty International. The overcrowding has led to conditions including reports of starvation among inmates.
Efforts to address overcrowding included the release of some prisoners. However, these measures have been insufficient to alleviate the problems.
DRC Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo confirmed tragedy and the material damage caused by the fire. DRC Justice Minister, Constant Mutamba described the incident as a premeditated act of sabotage.
Authorities have initiated an investigation into the causes and perpetrators of the prison break attempt. A temporary ban on transferring inmates from Makala has been imposed. Plans are underway to construct a new prison to address the overcrowding issue.
Amnesty International has previously documented the dire conditions in DRC prisons including Makala.
The DRC government has announced plans to construct a new prison facility to alleviate the pressure on Makala and other overcrowded prisons.
DRC Justice Minister Constant Mutamba announced a temporary ban on transferring inmates from Makala prison to prevent overcrowding and potential unrest.
There are calls for the DRC government to expedite judicial reforms to reduce the number of pre-trial detainees.
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