Congo Authorities Release 600 Inmates from Overcrowded Prison \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Congo authorities released 600 prisoners from the overcrowded Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa to reduce congestion. Justice Minister Constant Mutamba announced the plan, which includes freeing minors and sick inmates. The prison, built for 1,500 but holding over 12,000, has faced dire conditions and a deadly attempted jailbreak earlier this month.
Congo Releases Prisoners Amid Overcrowding Crisis: Quick Looks
- Prisoner Release: Congo released 600 prisoners from Makala Central Prison to address severe overcrowding in the facility.
- Justice Minister’s Announcement: Justice Minister Constant Mutamba led the ceremony in Kinshasa, highlighting plans for more releases, including minors and sick inmates.
- Overcrowding Crisis: Makala prison, designed for 1,500 inmates, holds over 12,000, with most detainees awaiting trial.
- Deadly Attempted Jailbreak: Earlier this month, a failed jailbreak left 129 dead, with allegations of guard shootings, a stampede, and reports of rape during the chaos.
- Prison Conditions: Activists and former detainees describe inhumane conditions, including lack of food, water, medical care, and severe overcrowding of women and minors.
- Future Plans: The government plans to build a new prison in Kinshasa to alleviate the current crisis, although details are still unknown.
Deep Look
In a bid to ease the severe overcrowding plaguing Congo’s largest prison, authorities released 600 prisoners from Makala Central Prison in the capital city of Kinshasa on Saturday. The initiative, announced by Justice Minister Constant Mutamba during a ceremony at the facility, is part of a broader effort to address the inhumane conditions that have long afflicted the country’s prison system. The release comes after months of rising tension inside Makala, a facility that has become dangerously congested, holding more than eight times its intended capacity.
Built to accommodate just 1,500 inmates, Makala currently houses over 12,000 prisoners, most of whom are awaiting trial. According to Amnesty International’s latest report, the prison is emblematic of the broader issues within Congo’s justice system, where detainees often languish for years without due process. The overcrowding crisis recently reached a deadly climax earlier this month when an attempted jailbreak led to a horrific loss of life. Official reports confirm that 129 people were killed, with some being shot by guards and soldiers, while others died in a stampede triggered by the chaos. However, prison rights activist Emmanuel Adu Cole, president of the Bill Clinton Peace Foundation, claims the death toll may be over 200.
Beyond the fatalities, disturbing reports of sexual violence have also surfaced. Congo’s Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani posted on X that several women were raped during the attempted jailbreak, though he did not elaborate further. One of the freed prisoners, 22-year-old Prisca Mbombo, shared her ordeal during the recent unrest. “We have had a difficult time in recent days with everything that was happening here, there were rapes, we were victims, many of us died,” she said. Mbombo, who had been imprisoned for two months after being arrested following a bar fight, expressed gratitude for her release, vowing never to return to the prison.
Activists and human rights groups have long warned about the appalling conditions at Makala. Inmates face a litany of issues, including overcrowded sleeping quarters, inadequate nutrition, poor sanitation, and limited access to medical care. Emmanuel Adu Cole, who has visited the prison multiple times through his foundation, said authorities had failed to take meaningful action despite numerous warnings about deteriorating conditions. He highlighted that the frustration and desperation among inmates have been steadily growing, exacerbating the already volatile environment inside the prison walls.
Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala, a well-known Congolese journalist who spent months in detention at Makala, recently shared his own experiences in the facility, describing it as “deplorable and inhumane.” Tshiamala noted that inmates are frequently deprived of basic necessities, including food, clean water, and medical attention. His account also shed light on the plight of female prisoners and minors, who he said are treated no differently from adult male inmates. According to Tshiamala, Makala currently holds nearly 700 women and around 300 minors, many of whom are in similarly dire conditions.
During Saturday’s ceremony, Justice Minister Mutamba addressed the situation of the minors detained at the prison, announcing that around 10 of them were included in the latest release. He also instructed prison authorities to review all cases involving minors, with plans for additional releases. One of the freed minors, 16-year-old Munganga Mungendo, expressed relief at regaining his freedom after spending more than a year behind bars. “I am happy to regain my freedom. I am still young and I can return to my studies,” he said. Mungendo had been serving a four-year sentence for theft.
The justice minister also indicated that all severely ill prisoners at Makala would be released beginning Sunday. This decision is seen as a critical step in addressing the overcrowding crisis, which has made it difficult for the prison to provide adequate healthcare to its detainees. Despite these efforts, the situation at Makala remains far from resolved.
Plans are reportedly underway for the construction of a new prison in Kinshasa, although Mutamba did not provide any specific details during his announcement. The proposed facility could alleviate some of the pressure on Makala and improve conditions for inmates. However, human rights groups have expressed concerns that without systemic reform, any new facility could eventually face the same challenges as Makala.
The recent tragedy at Makala and the subsequent prisoner releases have drawn international attention to Congo’s troubled prison system. Over the years, the country has struggled to reform its detention centers, which have been plagued by overcrowding, corruption, and human rights abuses. Although the release of 600 prisoners is a significant step, much work remains to be done to address the underlying causes of the crisis.
The memory of past incidents remains fresh in the minds of many. In 1996, the Free Papua Movement abducted members of a World Wildlife Fund mission, resulting in deaths and highlighting the longstanding challenges faced by prisoners in conflict zones. As Congo navigates this complex situation, the focus now shifts to ensuring that prisoners’ rights are respected and that such tragedies are avoided in the future.
Congo Authorities
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