Over 100 prisoners escape from prison in Congo

Over 100 inmates reported fled from a prison in Congo during a heavy rainfall, the jail director, Mutanade Nyongoli disclosed.

He further stated that about 5 who are about completing their sentence stayed back and a dozen of the escapees have been captured; some of the escapees are still undergoing pre-trial.

According to Vanguard, Prison breaks are not uncommon in Congo, with about 900 prisoners escaping an institution in North Kivu province in June after gunmen stormed the building. In a massive prison break in the capital Kinshasa in May, a religious sect attacked a jail and freed an estimated 4,000 inmates. Rights groups have reported terrible conditions in Congo’s prisons, with overcrowding as well as prolonged pretrial detention among the problems.