Makala Central Prison (French: Prison centrale de Makala), or Makala Prison[1] (French: Prison de Makala, Lingala: Bolóko ya Makala), is the biggest prison in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), located in its capital city, Kinshasa.[2] It is located in the city center, 3 miles (4.8 km) from the presidential palace.[3]
Makala Prison is located between the communes of Makala and Selembao. With a theoretical capacity of 1,500 detainees,[4][5] Makala is the only detention centre in Kinshasa, with the exception of Ndolo military prison.[6]
The security of each of the eleven pavilions where prisoners are housed is ensured by the inmates.[7] There are no police officers or prison guards inside the site.[7] Instead, prisoners armed with batons guard the entrances and exits of each pavilion.[7]
Capacity
Makala Prison has capacity for 1,500 prisoners,[2] and holds both male and female prisoners.[3] However, Makala Prison is highly overcrowded, housing between 14,000 and 15,000 inmates.[8] According to activists, this leads to inmates often starving to death.[3] In 2020, it was estimated that more than 90% of the people held at the prison were awaiting trial,[9] and only 6% were actually serving sentences.[10]
History
Makala Prison was created in 1957 during the rule of the Belgian Congo.[4] There was a jailbreak in 2017,[11] and an attempted jailbreak in 2024.[12] Thousands escaped and dozens died in the 2017 incident,[11] while over a hundred died and none escaped in the 2024 incident.[10] Jailbreaks are relatively common in the DRC.[13]
