150 inmates dead in DRC jail in Jan-June: Rights group

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - After the death of 150 inmates in the first six months of the year, a rights group in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday released a report criticizing the conditions at a major penitentiary in the capital Kinshasa.

These deaths at the Makala prison were due to a lack of appropriate medical care and undignified conditions particularly for women prisoners, said the report by the Congolese Association for Access to Justice (ACAJ).

Built during colonial times to accommodate 1,500 inmates, Makala housed more than 9,000 as of the end of July, said the report.

It expressed "deep concerns" about the lack of consideration for the specific needs of women prisoners and their vulnerability.

According to the ACAJ, 186 women are currently serving time in the prison, four of whom have children whose needs require special attention.

Besides overcrowding, the prison's cells are dilapidated, with almost non-existent sanitary facilities, it said.

While other prisons in the Central African country have similar conditions, the ACAJ noted, however, some improvement in the supply of food and medicine.

It called on authorities to build a new prison facility that meets international standards to decongest Makala.