Coronavirus in the DRC: "Prisons are at more than 400% of their capacity", HRW alert

Text by: Sonia Rolley Follow

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, prison conditions are worrying. Even before the coronavirus epidemic, dozens of deaths had been recorded due to lack of care and lack of food. And despite announcements of the release of prisoners, the American human rights organization Human Rights Watch believes that these measures are insufficient, as explained by Lewis Mudge, director for central Africa.

Publicity

Lewis Mudge: The government recognized early on that there had to be releases to reduce the prison population in the face of the risks posed by Covid-19. And it is very important indeed. That said, we will have to release several thousand more detainees for the impact to be real.

Imagine that 71% of prisoners in the Congo have never been tried or are still in pre-trial detention, it's incredible. Since the end of last month, the government has released just over 2,000 people. But if you take Makala, for example, 800 prisoners have been released. It should also be noted that almost 450 people recently arrested were transferred to the prison during the same period. Ultimately, the overcrowding continues.

RFI: What seems serious in this Covid-19 period is that families can no longer visit the detainees. They are the ones who bring the food.

The government even banned the deposit of food parcels. We understand the concerns of possible virus transmission, but this cannot work in a context where prisoners depend completely on these packages and meals brought by families. Prisons are at over 400% of their capacity or even sometimes at 600% as in Goma. Therefore, their budget does not allow them to feed all the defendants. So a solution must be found so that families can deliver these meals.

There is still a problem with funding prisons. State budgets are not always paid, and this is what you note in your report.

Disbursements of allocated funds are a recurring problem in Congo where prisons are expected to buy food and medicine for the detainees. In the last quarter of 2019, the allocated funds were not paid and at the beginning of 2020, we see the direct consequences. In Makala, for example, at least 60 detainees died of hunger in January and February. We may find ourselves in the same situation very soon. Since the prisons have not touched a cent since January. The government absolutely must release this money.

Lawyers also complain that they cannot access the prisons.

Whatever the circumstances, even in a pandemic, detainees must be able to communicate with their lawyers. So the government must quickly think of alternative solutions. Provision of telephones, for example, with of course means of disinfection. Or perhaps the establishment of a visit system.

► The Human Rights Watch report

“If the coronavirus reaches Makala, there will be no one left.” - detainee in Kinshasa's central prison, which is at 461% capacity, with hundreds of inmates crammed in together and no beds. Prisons in eastern #Congo are over 600% capacity. @hrw https://t.co/4fR3wskeOf pic.twitter.com/oYRjS3Rcdf

Newsletter With the Daily Newsletter, find the headlines directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• Ground floor
• Justice
• Coronavirus

On the same subject

Coronavirus: Africa faces the pandemic on Friday, April 17

Rwandan soldiers in the DRC: the strange denials of the governor and the UN

Report

DRC: In Bukavu, soldiers and their families struggle to find masks