The Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Constant Mutamba, denounced on Monday premeditated acts of sabotage at the central prison of Makala, which occurred on the night of September 1 to 2. He promised an implacable response against those responsible for this incident, while investigations are underway to identify and punish the instigators.

"While we are roaming the interior of the country to extend the policy of decongestion of prisons and the improvement of prison conditions, dictated by the Head of State and Supreme Magistrate, premeditated acts of sabotage were committed in Makala last night. Investigations are underway to identify and severely punish the instigators of these acts of sabotage. A relentless response will be reserved for them," declared Constant Mutamba.

"While we are roaming the interior of the country to extend the policy of decongestion of prisons and the improvement of prison conditions, dictated by the Head of State and Supreme Magistrate, premeditated acts of sabotage were committed in Makala last night. Investigations are underway to identify and severely punish the instigators of these acts of sabotage. A relentless response will be reserved for them," declared Constant Mutamba.

In response to this incident, the Minister announced a series of interim measures. He ordered a ban on the transfer of detainees to the Kinshasa Penitentiary Centre (CPK) by prosecutors, except with his authorization, until further notice. In addition, he indicated that the process of decongesting the prisons of Makala, Ndolo, and other penitentiary establishments in the interior of the country would be intensified. Finally, he specified that the project to relocate the Makala prison would be accelerated, with the construction of a new prison outside the city of Kinshasa.

This incident comes as the authorities claim to have brought the situation under control thanks to the rapid intervention of the security services. Patrick Muyaya, Minister of Communication and Media and government spokesperson, called on the population of Kinshasa not to be alarmed and to continue their activities normally, especially on this first day of the school year. "The security services are on site to restore order and security. The population of Kinshasa is urged not to panic. Other details will follow during the day," he said.

The Bill Clinton Foundation for Peace (BCFP), through its president Emmanuel Adu Cole, gave a dramatic assessment of the incident, reporting several deaths, injuries and escapes. The BCFP criticized the management of the prison, insisting on the urgency of separating the military from civilians, a situation that, according to it, exacerbates tensions. Emmanuel Adu Cole recalled the mass escape of 2017, which had caused many victims, to emphasize the importance of this separation.

Makala Prison, originally designed to hold 1,500 inmates, is now overcrowded due to the population growth of Kinshasa, which now has nearly 15 million inhabitants. In early August, during a visit to Makala, Minister Constant Mutamba reaffirmed his commitment to decongest this prison and build a new modern prison on a site already identified.