Nearly 130 people killed trying to escape prison in Kinshasa, Congo, most of them in a stampede: officials

Kinshasa, Congo — At least 129 people were killed trying to escape from a prison in the capital Congo’s main jail, most of them in a stampede, officials said on Tuesday. Congo’s Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani said on the social platform X that a provisional assessment showed that 24 inmates were killed with “warning” shots as they tried to escape from Kinshasa’s overcrowded Makala central prison on Monday morning.

“The government is taking care of the 59 injured people,” he said, adding that order had been restored in the prison, part of which was burned down in the attack.

In its latest country report, Amnesty International said Makala, Congo’s largest prison with a capacity of 1,500 people, houses more than 12,000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial. The facility has previously recorded prison escapes, including an attack by a religious sect in 2017 that freed dozens of people.

Residents reported that the shooting inside the prison began at midnight on Sunday and lasted until Monday morning. A senior government official had earlier said that only two people were confirmed dead during the incident, but human rights activists have disputed this figure.

Video from what appeared to be a prison showed bodies lying on the ground, many with visible injuries. Another video showed inmates carrying what appeared to be dead people into a vehicle.

There were no signs of forced entry into the prison, which is located in the city centre, 3 miles from the Presidential Palace.

Deputy Justice Minister Mbemba Kabuya told local Top Congo FM radio that the escape attempt was plotted by inmates in a wing of the prison.

In the hours following the attack, the road leading to the prison was cordoned off and authorities formed a panel to investigate the incident.

Activists say Makala, like many other prisons in Congo, is so overcrowded that people often die of hunger. A large number of prisoners have been released this year as part of efforts to reduce overcrowding.

Justice Minister Constant Mutamba described the attack as a “premeditated act of sabotage”, and said those who “incited these acts of sabotage… would face a harsh response.”

He also announced a ban on the transfer of prisoners from the prison and said authorities would build a new prison, among other efforts to ease overcrowding.