UN deplores violence in DRC's prisons, says conditions getting worse
Congo's overcrowded and violent prisons gained attention last month after over 260 female inmates were sexually assaulted during a mass escape attempt at Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa.
Volker Turk says during a human rights briefing that prisoners in Congo were being kept in "disastrous conditions" without access to lawyers or contact with their families. / Photo: AP Archive
Prison conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have deteriorated, with cases of torture and sexual violence being reported in detention centres run by the intelligence services, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said.
DRC's overcrowded, violent and unsanitary prisons came under the spotlight last month after more than 260 female inmates were sexually assaulted during an attempted mass escape from the Makala Central Prison in the capital Kinshasa.
At least 129 people were killed when prison guards used live fire against the inmates trying to break free from the prison, which official figures say has a capacity of 1,500 prisoners, but housed more than 15,000 people.
High Commissioner Volker Turk said during a human rights briefing on Tuesday that prisoners in the country were being kept in "disastrous conditions" without access to lawyers or contact with their families.
"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", he told the UN Human Rights Council.
Prison break
Representatives of the UN Human Rights Office have repeatedly been denied access to Makala and the intelligence services' detention centres, spokesperson Seif Magango said later on Tuesday.
"We have not yet gained access to Makala Prison despite numerous letters to the relevant authorities. We also still have no access to detention centres," he said.
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi's spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the army, which oversee the intelligence services and their detention centres, said he had not been informed about Turk's comments.
When he came to power in 2019, Tshisekedi promised to close the intelligence services' detention centres, long notorious for violently mistreating detainees.
After last month's prison break, Tshisekedi ordered an investigation and a review of the DRC's main prisons to reduce overcrowding.
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