In the aftermath of the jailbreak on September 2, 2024, at Makala Central Prison—one of the largest prisons in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—over 700 inmates were released on Saturday in a bid to ease severe overcrowding. The jailbreak, which resulted in the deaths of 129 people, brought attention to the critical issues plaguing the country’s prison system.
Congo’s Minister of Justice, Constant Mutumba, announced the mass release during a visit to Makala Prison. According to Mutumba, most of the prisoners were released on bail as part of an ongoing strategy to manage the overcrowded prison population. This comes in addition to the earlier release of 527 inmates on August 10, 2024, also aimed at alleviating congestion.
During his visit, Minister Mutumba also noted that 2,000 mattresses had been delivered to the inmates to improve living conditions. He further revealed plans to construct a new prison in Maluku, which would help address the chronic overcrowding problem in the DRC’s prison facilities.
A Prison in Crisis
Makala Central Prison, built in 1957 during Belgian colonial rule, was designed to hold 1,500 inmates but now accommodates nearly 10 times that number. This overcrowding is considered a key factor in the September 2 jailbreak. The immediate cause of the escape attempt was a day-long outage of electricity and water, which led inmates to revolt against the suffocating heat and unbearable living conditions.
The jailbreak not only caused multiple deaths but also triggered reports of brutal assaults. Female inmates reported cases of rape and violence during the chaos. Speaking to The New York Times and Congo’s Interior Minister, several women recounted being attacked by men armed with scissors and knives. Some claimed the assailants threatened to kill them if they resisted. However, many details of these incidents remain unclear.
Human Rights Concerns
Emmanuel Adu Cole, a human rights activist based in Kinshasa, highlighted the grim reality within Makala Prison, where he claimed nearly 500 inmates have died from suffocation and disease. Cole also pointed out that out of the 15,000 inmates currently held at Makala, only 2,500 have been convicted, leaving 12,500 inmates still awaiting trial. Human rights organizations have long condemned the violent, unsanitary, and overcrowded conditions in DRC prisons.
“Most of these inmates have no reason to be held in such inhuman conditions,” Cole told The New York Times in a phone interview, urging the government to implement urgent reforms to improve the prison system.
Government Response and Future Plans
The jailbreak has reignited concerns within the DRC government regarding the state of its prison system. Patrick Muyaya, the government spokesperson, addressed the issue in an interview with France 24, stating, “There is a program across the country that aims to build new prisons. The incident is going to accelerate the process that had already begun.” However, Muyaya did not specify how many new facilities are planned or when construction would begin.
As the DRC continues to face mounting challenges with its prison system, the release of over 700 inmates and the proposed construction of new prisons signal the government’s recognition of the urgent need for reform. Whether these efforts will be enough to address the root causes of overcrowding and inhumane conditions remains to be seen.
