DR Congo frees hundreds of 'seriously ill' inmates from Makala prison

The government aims to decongest Makala Prison where many died during a recent attempted jailbreak.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionKamala HarrisDonald TrumpJD VanceTim WalzUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersHundreds of 'seriously ill' prisoners freed in DR CongoDR Congo Ministry of JusticeConditions inside Kinshasa's Makala Prison have been compared to "hell"Some 1,685 "seriously ill" inmates have been released from one of the most notorious prisons in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the latest move to tackle overcrowding.

The release began at Makala Prison in the capital, Kinshasa, on Sunday.

It was there, at the beginning of this month, that 129 prisoners died in an attempted jailbreak. Some were shot dead by security forces while others were killed in a crush, officials said.

The government pledged to speed up its plans to decongest the prison, where conditions have been described as "true hell".

Some of the inmates identified for release can be seen in a series of images published on the justice ministry's Facebook page.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4glr0ky934o

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