Kinshasa [Democratic Republic of Congo], September 5: At least 129 people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in an attempted prison break.
Authorities shot dead 24 inmates of the Makala prison in the capital Kinshasa, while dozens of others were suffocated or trampled to death, Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani said on X on Tuesday.
"The provisional toll is 129 dead, including 24 by gunfire, after warning," Shabani said in a statement posted on X, adding that some 59 people were injured.
He said there was "significant material damage."Some female prisoners were abused during the chaos on Monday night, Shabani added.
At least 59 people were also injured. The police and army were able to bring the situation under control.
According to Shabani, the number of victims is preliminary.
The damage to property was considerable. Administrative buildings, the infirmary and the food depot had been completely burnt down, the minister added.
Security forces held an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the case.
Makala prison is the largest in the DRC and was built to hold 1,500 prisoners.
It currently has between 14,000 and 15,000 detainees, according to official figures. Most of them are people awaiting trial, Amnesty International said in its most recent country report on the DRC.
The prison has recorded previous jailbreaks, including in 2017 when more than 4,000 prisoners escaped from the facility after an attack by armed men at night.
Authorities had been trying to reduce overcrowding, with dozens of inmates released in recent months.
There was no public comment on Monday's incident from Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, who is in China on an official visit. Justice Minister Constant Mutamba called the attack a "premeditated act of sabotage" carried out to undermine efforts to improve the condition of prisons.
"Investigations are underway to identify and severely punish those who instigated these acts of sabotage. They will receive a stern response," Mutamba said.
He also announced a ban on the transfer of inmates from the prison and said authorities would build a new prison, among other efforts to reduce overcrowding.
Prison breaks are a frequent occurrence in the conflict-torn Central African country. Hundreds of inmates often manage to escape together
Source: Qatar Tribune
