Families of those killed in what authorities called an attempted jailbreak in Congo's biggest prison are demanding answers from the government as activists denounce what they say are inhumane conditions in the nation's overcrowded penitentiaries.
Officials have reported that 129 people died, including some who were shot by guards and soldiers, and others who died in a stampede trying to escape the Makala Central Prison in the capital of Kinshasa early on Monday. Justice Minister Constant Mutamba called the attempted jailbreak a “premeditated act of sabotage” and promised a “stern response.”
