The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has raised alarm over the deteriorating conditions in prisons across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In a statement made on October 8, 2024, the Commissioner highlighted instances of torture and sexual violence occurring in detention facilities operated by intelligence services.
This report comes in the wake of a tragic incident at Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa last month. During an attempted mass escape, over 260 female inmates were sexually assaulted, and at least 129 individuals lost their lives when prison guards resorted to using live ammunition. The prison, designed to accommodate 1,500 inmates, was housing more than 15,000 at the time of the incident.
The DRC, the second-largest country in Africa by area, has long grappled with challenges in its penal system. With a population exceeding 100 million as of 2024, the nation's prisons are notoriously overcrowded, unsanitary, and prone to violence. These issues are compounded by the country's complex history of political instability and conflicts since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960.
UN High Commissioner Volker Turk stated that prisoners in the DRC are being held in "disastrous conditions" without access to legal representation or family contact. He emphasized that detainees in intelligence service-run facilities are particularly vulnerable to mistreatment, including sexual violence.
"In detention centres run by the intelligence services, in particular, a number of detainees are subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence"
When Felix Tshisekedi assumed the presidency in 2019, he pledged to shut down the intelligence services' detention centers, which have long been notorious for their brutal treatment of detainees. Following the recent Makala prison incident, Tshisekedi ordered an investigation and a review of the country's main prisons to address overcrowding.
Despite these promises, UN sources report being denied access to intelligence service detention centers for over a year. They have also been unable to visit Makala prison since the September 2024 incident, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
The situation in DRC's prisons reflects broader challenges faced by the nation. The country, rich in natural resources including cobalt, copper, and diamonds, paradoxically has one of the lowest GDP per capita globally. It also grapples with one of the highest rates of internally displaced people and faces significant hurdles in education and healthcare.
As the DRC continues to struggle with these multifaceted issues, the international community watches closely. The country hosts one of the largest UN peacekeeping missions globally, underscoring the ongoing need for support and reform across various sectors, including the prison system.