A violent prison break attempt at the Makala prison in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has left at least 129 people dead, the country’s interior minister announced on Tuesday.
In a video message, Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani stated, “The provisional human toll is 129 dead, including 24 who were shot after warnings.” He also reported that at least 59 others were wounded during the incident.
The breakout, which took place over the weekend, resulted in chaos and violence within the prison. Shabani’s ministry revealed that several people were crushed or suffocated during the chaos, and a number of women were raped.
Witnesses described the intense situation. Gunfire reportedly started at around 2:00 am on Monday morning and continued for several hours. Daddi Soso, an electrician in his 40s living in Kinshasa, said he saw security force vehicles taking bodies away in the early hours. “It was terrifying. We heard the gunfire and saw the aftermath as bodies were being removed,” Soso told reporters.
The authorities have not disclosed how many inmates managed to escape or attempted to do so during the breakout. However, by mid-morning on Monday, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya told national television that the situation was “under control.”
The incident has shocked the nation, raising concerns about security and conditions in the country’s largest prison. Further investigations are expected as the government seeks to understand the full scope of what happened.
