Pressure Builds for Investigation Into Jailbreak That Left 129 Dead

Following a failed jailbreak at Congo’s largest prison in the capital, Kinshasa, on Tuesday that resulted in the deaths of at least 129 people, families of those killed and human rights groups are demanding answers from the government.

The Congolese Interior Minister, Jacquemin Shabani, said on the social platform X (Twitter) that the death toll had reached 129 from the escape attempt, including 24 inmates who were shot dead by “warning” gunfire as they attempted to flee from the severely overcrowded Makala Central Prison. The other victims died by “jostling or suffocation,” Shabani said.

“There are also 59 injured people taken into care by the government, as well as some cases of women raped,” Shabani said in the Tuesday post, adding that order had been restored at the prison, part of which was burned in the attempted jailbreak.

Justice Minister Constant Mutamba labeled the incident a “premeditated act of sabotage” and vowed swift government action. However, it wasn’t immediately clear if all 129 fatalities were inmates, and officials did not say how the stampede happened as rights organizations and opposition figures are questioning the official narrative and calling for an independent investigation.

On Wednesday, some family members of the victims also demanded more clarity into the incident.

According to The Associated Press (AP), Madeleine Mbalaka, whose son, Everixk Nzeu, was among those killed, has been left in the dark about the exact circumstances of his death.

“I visited my son on Sunday, and by the next morning, he was gone,” she told the AP. Nzeu, 25, had reportedly been held without trial for two months before the incident. His mother, like many others, has been unable to see his body and is demanding transparency.

“I ask the Congolese authorities to provide us with explanations because we do not know exactly what happened,” she said. “I ask that justice be done.”

In addition, the Delegation of the European Union to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday took to X to call on Congolese authorities “to quickly shed light on these tragic events in order to establish the various responsibilities, including with regard to respect for human rights and the rule of law.”

Newsweek reached out to the Delegation of the European Union to the Democratic Republic of Congo via email on Wednesday for comment.

Overcrowding in Congolese prisons like Makala is a well-documented issue, with conditions so dire that deaths from starvation are not uncommon, according to activists. Detainees also often lack basic necessities, including food, water and medical care.

According to Amnesty International, the prison, which houses more than 12,000 inmates despite a capacity for just 1,500, is a notorious facility where most detainees are awaiting trial.

ist Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala, who was recently detained in Makala, compared the conditions at the facility to a “concentration camp” in comments made to the AP. He said prisoners there are deprived of fundamental rights and subjected to inhumane conditions.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.