This archive report was first published on 10 January 2020.
Published on January 10, 2020, a report by a charity revealed that at least 17 prisoners had died in the Democratic Republic of Congo's biggest prison, Makala Prison, in the capital, Kinshasa.
The deaths were attributed to a lack of food and medicine, as well as poor hygiene. Aid workers stated that the prison had received no food supplies in the last two months, according to state officials.
"It's terrible! People are dying almost every day," a prison official who wished to remain anonymous told the BBC.
With over 8,000 prisoners living in the facility, food shortages meant that inmates relied on their families to bring in meals. The prison was also severely overcrowded, with more than five times the number of inmates it was built for.
Conditions were so poor that non-governmental groups estimated that at least 100 prisoners were gravely ill and close to death.
Only 6% of the prisoners were actually serving sentences, with the rest stuck in DR Congo's legal system where cases can drag on for years.
DR Congo's deputy minister of justice, Celestin Tunda Ya Kasende, told local media that Makala had received some funding to help improve conditions.
"It's true, there was a delay in paying suppliers and this explains the break in supplies," Kasende said, adding, "the situation was put to rights" on Monday.
However, human rights organisations remained sceptical, with the BBC's Gaïus Kowene in Kinshasa stating that more money was promised but its effectiveness remained to be seen.
