DR Congo’s Justice Minister Orders Release of 527 Inmates, Improves Prison Conditions
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba, announced the release of 527 prisoners from Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa, as part of an ongoing effort to improve the conditions within the country’s overcrowded prisons.
During the event, Minister Mutamba also delivered 2,000 mattresses to the inmates, a first installment of a total order of 7,000, aiming to ensure that no prisoner has to sleep on the floor.
The move is part of a broader initiative to enhance detention conditions, as directed by President Félix Tshisekedi.
“A state governed by the rule of law means that everyone must be subject to the law. Your place is in your home where you will spend the night tonight. You must return to your homes,” Mutamba stated, addressing the released prisoners. He further announced plans to continue with the release of more prisoners who have been unjustly detained, with another wave of releases scheduled for the following Saturday.
The Justice Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to fulfilling promises made to improve prison conditions. “This is what is being done. I also guaranteed that no prisoner would sleep on the floor anymore,” he said. He noted that, in addition to providing mattresses, the government is manufacturing new beds, which will be available starting next week. Rehabilitation efforts are also underway at the prison’s health center and several pavilions.
Minister Mutamba also announced plans to construct a new prison in Maluku, following a site visit earlier this year. This initiative aligns with the government’s broader objective to reduce overcrowding and rehabilitate existing prison facilities.
Makala Central Prison, originally built to house 1,500 inmates in 1957, now holds over 15,000 people, including children and women, in notoriously poor conditions.
The prison has become emblematic of the overcrowded and unsanitary conditions faced by many inmates across the country, where prisoners are crammed into cells, often suffer from malnutrition, and are exposed to waterborne and respiratory diseases.
In July, the Congolese government announced plans to grant conditional release to at least 7,000 inmates in a bid to alleviate overcrowding at Makala and improve the overall state of the country’s detention facilities.
