The flagrante delicto trial in the case relating to the attempted escape from Makala prison will continue this Thursday, September 12 before the Kinshasa/Ngaliema garrison military court. During the hearing on Wednesday, September 11 in the facilities of this prison, the court heard about twenty alleged perpetrators of this incident.
In their account of the events, they reject the accusations of the public prosecutor who brought them before the court. Many said that during the course of these events, their wards were not open but they could still sense that there were suspicious movements within the prison. The majority of them believe that if they are before the court, it is following their conflicts or disagreements with the leaders of the wards within the central prison of Makala.
“After the events of Monday, September 2, as the meal received from the prison, bread and water was not enough, we decided with another comrade to make our fufu to eat and the secretary of our pavilion having noticed that I still had water reserves when there was none left, he asked me and I refused and promised me that “Ako embrouiller ngai na boloko” (in French: he will make my life difficult in prison) and when we started looking for those who would be at the root of the troubles, he gave my name,” said one of the accused prisoners.
For another, it was one of the soldiers sent as reinforcements to Makala, who plotted against him with the leaders of their pavilion.
“When we were taken out to get bread and water from the field after the incidents, I sold my cigarettes inside the prison, it allowed me to live and that day in the field, there was a member of the Military Police who wanted to steal my merchandise, the packets of cigarettes, I had completely refused and he held a grudge against me and he had handed me over in complicity with the head of our pavilion when we had to look for people at the root of the disturbances,” explained this other prisoner.
Another inmate adds:
“I am usually someone who takes hemp but we take it in secret so as not to be apprehended by our pavilion managers. After the incidents on Monday, I told myself I have to take this to try to forget everything that has just happened, I tell myself with what has happened, there will not really be any control as is the case but unfortunately by taking this I was apprehended in my room by the managers and there was tension between me and our pavilion managers. It was after these arguments that I was also included in the group of those accused of being at the root of these events.”
After the day’s hearings, the court decided to bring in certain prison administration officials cited for confrontation.
“There are people who have been cited by detainees, who are also in the administration of the management of the prison. We have noted all of them, there are those who are arrested at the Demiap (Military Intelligence), those who are present, we will try to call them so that we put them in front of the defendants who cited them so that they can tell us the circumstances in which they proceeded to list them among the 64 people presented before the court by the public prosecutor,” said Captain Guy Kweshi, presiding judge of the military court garrison of Kinshasa/Ngaliema.
The Court is also considering carrying out a raid on the various pavilions to assess the level of damage.
Currently, the reasons for the attempted escape in Makala are still unclear. But the toll announced by the government (131 dead) is disputed by some civil society organizations. According to the authorities, there were deaths by gunfire (24), while other detainees died following warning shots, or by jostling and suffocation. According to the government via the Minister of the Interior, Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo, there were “a few women raped”, without giving the number. “On the material level, we deplore the fire in the administrative building, the registry, the infirmary and the food depots,” added Mr. Shabani.
About sixty prisoners are being prosecuted in flagrante delicto before the Kinshasa/Ngaliema Garrison Military Court for rape, terrorism, malicious destruction and arson. During the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Monday, September 9, Head of State Félix Tshisekedi asked the investigation team set up to send him its report on the real circumstances of these incidents within seven days.
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2024-09-12 10:12:36
#Makala #escape #trial #imminent #confrontation #prisoners #prison #officials
What were the circumstances surrounding the attempted jailbreak at Makala prison in September 2024?
Makala Prison Break Attempt: Trial Continues Amidst Uncertainty and Controversy
On September 12, the flagrante delicto trial related to the attempted escape from Makala prison in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, is set to continue before the Kinshasa/Ngaliema garrison military court. The trial follows a chaotic incident on September 2, which resulted in the deaths of at least 129 people, according to official reports [1[1[1[1][3[3[3[3].
During the hearing on September 11, about twenty alleged perpetrators of the incident were heard by the court. The accused prisoners reject the accusations brought against them by the public prosecutor, claiming that their wards were not open during the events, but they sensed suspicious movements within the prison. Most of them believe that if they are before the court, it is due to their conflicts or disagreements with the leaders of the wards within the central prison of Makala.
The stories of the accused prisoners paint a picture of a complex web of motivations and events. One prisoner claimed that he was accused after refusing to share his water reserves with the secretary of his pavilion, who then plotted against him. Another prisoner alleged that a soldier sent as reinforcement to Makala plotted against him with the leaders of his pavilion. Another inmate claimed that he was accused after being caught taking hemp by his pavilion managers, which led to arguments and his inclusion among those accused of being at the root of the troubles.
The court has decided to bring in certain prison administration officials cited for confrontation, including those arrested at the Demiap (Military Intelligence) and those present, to clarify the circumstances surrounding the listing of the 64 people presented before the court by the public prosecutor.
The reasons behind the attempted escape from Makala prison remain unclear, and the toll announced by the government is disputed by some civil society organizations. According to the authorities, 24 people were shot dead, while others died from suffocation or jostling during the stampede. The government has also reported that “a few women were raped” without giving a specific number. The material damage includes the burning of the administrative building, registry, infirmary, and food depots.
About sixty prisoners are being prosecuted in flagrante delicto before the Kinshasa/Ngaliema garrison military court, as the investigation into the attempted escape from Makala prison continues.
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What were the circumstances surrounding the Makala prison breakout in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
Makala Prison Breakout: Attempted Escape Ends in Tragedy, Trial Continues
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a recent attempted prison break at Makala prison in Kinshasa has resulted in the deaths of at least 129 people, with over 100 prisoners escaping. The incident has drawn attention to the horrific conditions within the prison and has sparked an investigation into the events leading up to the breakout.
According to reports, the attempted escape attempt occurred on the night of September 2, resulting in a stampede that led to the deaths of many inmates [1]. The prison, which is the largest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been plagued by overcrowding and poor conditions, leading to tensions among the inmates.
The trial of the alleged perpetrators of the breakout has begun, with about twenty prisoners testifying before the Kinshasa/Ngaliema garrison military court. The accused prisoners have denied any involvement in the incident, citing conflicts with prison wardens and soldiers as the reason for their inclusion in the group of accused individuals.
One prisoner claimed that he was targeted by a warden who was seeking revenge after being refused a request for water [3].
The court has decided to call in prison administration officials cited by the prisoners for confrontation, in an effort to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident. Additionally, the court is considering conducting a raid on the various pavilions to assess the level of damage and determine the root causes of the breakout.
The incident has highlighted the dire conditions within Makala prison, where inmates are forced to survive on meager rations and live in cramped and unsanitary conditions. The breakout has sparked calls for reform and improved conditions within the prison system, as well as greater transparency and accountability among officials.
As the trial continues, it remains to be seen what consequences will be faced by those accused of involvement in the breakout. However, it is clear that the incident has shed light on the urgent need for reform and improvement within the Democratic Republic of Congo’s prison system.
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