Several Injured in Jailbreak Attempt in DR Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s government expressed regret on Monday for the “loss of lives” resulting from an attempted jail break that occurred overnight at the largest prison in the nation.

It’s still unclear what led up to the attempt to break out of Makala prison in Kinshasa’s capital.

“There’s an escape attempt at Makala Central Prison. Security services are on-site to restore order and security,” government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said Monday on X.

“The situation is under control,” Muyaya told national Congolese television from Beijing, where he is part of the official delegation accompanying President Felix Tshisekedi to this week’s China-Africa summit.

In a video distributed to reporters, Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani stated that there had been “loss of lives, several injured, and mainly material damage” but offered no other information.

Although witnesses reported hearing gunshots, authorities have not provided any numbers or details regarding the number of prisoners who were able to get away.

When AFP journalists arrived on the scene at the end of the morning, they observed that police had blocked off the streets leading to the jail.

A local electrician in his 40s named Daddi Soso told AFP he woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of gunfire.

“There were gunshots from 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, and until around 5:00 am,” Soso said, visibly shaken.

“There were deaths and there are people who fled,” he said, adding he saw law enforcement vehicles transporting bodies.

Justice Minister Constant Mutamba said on X that “inquiries (are) underway to identify and severely punish the sponsors of these acts of sabotage.”

Additionally, he declared that until further notice, the transfer of inmates to the prison would not take place.

According to official figures, Makala prison, which has a capacity of 1,500 prisoners, currently houses between 14,000 and 15,000 inmates.

In 2017, an armed man attacked the prison at night, leading to the escape of over 4,000 inmates.

AFP