2017 Makala jailbreak
| Date | 17 May 2017 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Makala Central Prison |
| Coordinates | 4°21′45″S 15°17′9″E / 4.36250°S 15.28583°E |
| Type | Mass jailbreak |
| Perpetrator | Prison inmates |
| Participants | 4000+ |
| Outcome | Over 4000 prisoners escaped[1] |
| Deaths | ~100 |
On 17 May 2017, a mass jailbreak at Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulted in the deaths of up to 100 people.[2]
Background
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2024) |
Makala Central Prison is the biggest prison in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It only has a capacity of 1,500,[3] and holds both male and female prisoners.[4] The inside is unguarded.[5] Since its 1957 Belgian Congo creation,[6] jailbreaks are common in the DRC.[7]
Jailbreak
[edit]It was believed that around half of the prison's inmates fled during the attack.[2] In the initial attack, around 50 prisoners got away when armed men attacked the prison.[2] Government officials said a police officer and at least five attackers were killed, while several sources say that up to 100 died in the unrest.[2]
Perpetrators
[edit]The attack was carried out by followers of the political-religious sect Bundu Dia Kongo in order to free their leader Ne Muanda Nsemi and 50 other inmates, with Nsemi the alleged mastermind of the attack. Nsemi was freed and disappeared after the escape, until May 2019, when he was rearrested.[8][9][10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "At least 129 dead in DR Congo jailbreak attempt". france24. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "'More than 3,000 escaped' Makala jail in DR Congo". BBC. BBC News. May 18, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ "At least 129 dead in DR Congo jailbreak attempt". France24. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
- ^ Kamale, Jean-Yves (September 3, 2024). "Attempted jailbreak at a Congo prison kills 129 people as chaos erupts with a stampede and gunshots". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
- ^ Kibangula, Trésor (October 7, 2015). "RDC : bienvenue dans l'enfer de Makala, la plus grande prison de Kinshasa". Jeune Afrique. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ Daudi, Chase Mutayubara (October 26, 2022). "Les coulisses de la prison de Makala à Kinshasa" (in French). Groupe de recherche et d'information sur la paix et la sécurité. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ Kennedy, Niamh; Princewill, Nimi (September 3, 2024). "At least 129 killed during mass prison break attempt in DR Congo". CNN. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
- ^ "RDC: Ne Muanda Nsemi, le leader de Bundu dia Kongo, finalement libéré". Radio France Internationale (in French). May 11, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ Makumeno, Emery (September 3, 2024). "More than 100 killed in failed DR Congo jailbreak". BBC. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
- ^ "BDK leader Ne Muanda Nsemi flees after DRC jailbreak". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.