The Democratic Republic of Congo’s government reported an attempted prison break at Makala Prison in the capital, Kinshasa, during the early hours of Monday. The government announced that security forces quickly gained control of the situation, and an investigation is underway.
Gunfire erupted around 2:00 a.m., according to several prisoners. One inmate described being awakened by the commotion of prisoners outside, followed by intense gunfire. Another prisoner recounted how some prison wards were opened while soldiers fired indiscriminately at anything that moved.
A prison official confirmed that the prison hospital and administrative building were set ablaze, potentially leading to the destruction of important documents. However, the official also stated that no prisoners managed to escape during the attempted breakout. “Those who tried to do so were killed,” the official added.
