| Date | 17 May 2017 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Makala Central Prison |
| Coordinates | 4°21′45″S15°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]
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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]
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]
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]
Kinshasa, formerly named Léopoldville until 30 June 1966, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one of the world's fastest-growing megacities. Kinshasa's 2024 population was estimated at 17,032,322. It is the most densely populated city in the DRC, the most populous city in Africa, the world's fourth-most-populous capital city, Africa's third-largest metropolitan area, and the leading economic, political, and cultural center of the DRC. Kinshasa houses several industries, including manufacturing, telecommunications, banking, and entertainment. The city also hosts some of DRC's significant institutional buildings, such as the Palais du Peuple, Palais de la Nation, Court of Cassation, Constitutional Court, Cité de l'Union Africaine, Palais de Marbre, Stade des Martyrs, Immeuble du Gouvernement, Kinshasa Financial Center, and multiple federal departments and agencies.
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Makala Central Prison, or Makala Prison, is the biggest prison in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), located in its capital city, Kinshasa. It is located in the city center, 3 miles (4.8 km) from the presidential palace.