DRC: New admissions suspended at Makala prison to address prison overcrowding

Faced with prison overcrowding, the Congolese government, through the Ministry of Justice, has banned the admission of new prisoners to Makala Central Prison, except in exceptional circumstances. Built to hold 1,500 people, this prison now houses more than 16,000, according to the Ministry of Justice.

This situation illustrates the difficulties faced by the Congolese prison system, which is confronted with chronic overcrowding in several establishments across the country.

The authorities justify this decision by citing security, health and humanitarian concerns related to the conditions of detention.

This situation is also observed in other prisons across the country. Presented as a temporary measure motivated by security, health, and humanitarian imperatives, this decision is welcomed by the African Association for Human Rights (ASADHO) and the Bill Clinton Foundation for Peace (BCFP).

However, these human rights organizations believe that this measure will not be enough to solve the problem in the long term. They recommend more profound reforms, including better oversight of the judiciary, the closure of clandestine detention centers, and the implementation of a sustainable policy to reduce prison overcrowding.

-What analysis can be made of the prison situation in the DRC and what reforms should be undertaken to sustainably improve prison conditions in the country?

Guests:

- Marcel Matumpa, National Deputy, elected from Muanda in Kongo-Central. He is Deputy Rapporteur of the National Assembly's Monitoring and Evaluation Committee on the implementation of laws, resolutions, and recommendations for public policies. He is also a lawyer at the Kongo-Central Bar and Head of Works at the Faculty of Law of the University of Kinshasa.

-Emmanuel Adu Cole, president of the Bill Clinton Foundation for Peace (FBCP), a human rights organization.

-Désiré Simbi Chambali, president of the DRC's group of prison experts.