Over 12,000 people were accommodated when the appropriate capacity was 1,500… Starvation due to overcrowding
At least 129 people were killed in an attempted escape from the Makila Central Prison in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, Interior Minister Jacquemain Chabani said on the 3rd.
Minister Shabani told X that 24 inmates had been killed in “warning” gunfire in the early hours of the morning (local time) after they attempted to escape from overcrowded conditions at the prison, most of whom were killed when a stampede struck them as they attempted to escape.
“In addition to the deaths, there were 59 injuries and several sexual assaults on female inmates,” he said, adding that “parts of the prison were burned down, but order has now been restored.”
Amnesty International said in a recent report that Makala Prison, Congo’s largest prison, has a capacity of 1,500 but currently holds more than 12,000 inmates. Dozens escaped from Makala Prison in 2017 after a religious sect attacked the prison.
Residents said the shooting inside the prison continued from after midnight on the 1st until the morning of the 2nd.
Footage that appeared to come from the prison showed bodies strewn across the floor, many with visible injuries. Another video showed inmates loading what appeared to be dead people into vehicles.
“The escape attempt was planned from inside the prison by inmates,” Deputy Attorney General Mpemba Kabuya told Congo FM radio.
The road to the prison was blocked for hours after the attack, and authorities convened a committee to investigate the incident.
Activists say overcrowding in Makala Prison is so severe that inmates often starve to death. Many prisoners have been released this year to ease the overcrowding.
Justice Minister Constant Mutampa called the attack “a deliberate act of sabotage” and said “those who instigated such acts of sabotage will face stern action”, adding that authorities would build new prisons to reduce overcrowding.
[킨사샤(콩고)=AP/뉴시스]
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2024-09-03 20:41:20