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At Least 129 Killed in Mass Prison Break Attempt in DR Congo
A devastating attempted mass breakout from the largest prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo has left at least 129 people dead, with many more injured. The incident occurred at Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa, where prisoners tried to break out en masse at around 2 a.m. local time (9 p.m. ET) on Monday. According to Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo Bihango, 24 people were killed by gunshot after warning, while others died from jostling, suffocation, and rape. 59 people are receiving medical care, and extensive damage has been reported to several prison buildings
“The provisional human toll stands at 129 dead including 24 by gunshot after warning. The others died by jostling, suffocation and some women were raped,” Bihango said. One Kinshasa resident, Daddi Soso, told Agence France-Presse that gunfire rang out for several hours during the incident and that he later saw security vehicles removing bodies from the scene. Graphic videos circulating on social media showed dozens of bloodied corpses on the ground.
The prison, which was built to hold 1,500 people, was severely overcrowded with over 12,000 inmates, mostly pretrial detainees. The attempted breakout is the latest in a series of violent attacks on jails in the central African nation. Several prison buildings, including offices, the registry, the infirmary, and food depots, were destroyed by fires during the attempted prison break.
Interior minister Bihango convened a crisis meeting of the country’s defense and security services on Tuesday after receiving instructions from the country’s “senior hierarchy. “The government is relieved “by the restored calm,” he said, adding that investigations into the incident are ongoing. Justice Minister Constant Mutamba condemned the prison break attempt as a “pre-meditated act of sabotage.”
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Mutamba barred public prosecutors from transferring any inmates to Makala prison “until further notice” as part of a series of measures he announced to tackle over-crowding at the country’s prisons. In a statement on X, the European Union called for “an independent and rapid investigation to shed light on these tragic events and establish responsibilities. “Prison breaks are common in the DRC, with several attacks launched on correctional facilities in recent years. In 2017, more than 50 inmates, including the leader of a religious sect, broke free from the Makala prison following an invasion by the group.
In 2020, a rebel group linked to ISIS claimed responsibility for a jailbreak that freed nearly 1,000 inmates from a prison in Beni, in northeastern DRC. At least 11 people, including security personnel, were killed in that attack. Another prison break was recorded the following year at Matadi, one of the country’s oldest prisons, which saw the escape of 189 prisoners. More than 200 other detainees escaped from the same prison in 2022 after seizing weapons from the facility’s armory.
Court, Congress Pile Pressure on DHS Over Minnesota Operations
US House Democrats have threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over her handling of the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, unless President Donald Trump removes her from office.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that Democrats could proceed “the easy way or the hard way,” describing the actions of Noem’s department as “disgusting.”
The crisis follows the fatal shooting of US citizen Alex Pretti by a federal agent, which has triggered backlash in Minneapolis and led to the planned departure of Border Patrol Chief Gregory Borvino and some agents from the city.
Trump has deployed his “border tsar,” Tom Homan, to take charge of on-the-ground operations, while a Minnesota judge has ordered acting ICE director Todd Lyons to appear in court over alleged violations of court orders.
Trump has distanced himself from claims by senior adviser Stephen Miller that Pretti was a “would-be assassin,” saying he did not believe the victim was acting as one.
Video footage shows Pretti holding a phone while filming agents, not a gun, although police say he was a legal firearm owner.
UN Raises Alarm Over ‘Spare No-One’ Rhetoric by South Sudan Army Chief
The United Nations has expressed concern after South Sudan’s Deputy Army Chief, Gen. Johnson Oluny, was heard urging troops to “spare no-one,” including children and the elderly, ahead of military operations in opposition-held areas of Jonglei State.
In a video posted on Facebook, Oluny, addressing members of his Agwelek militia, called for total destruction during the deployment.
The UN Mission in South Sudan condemned the remarks, describing them as “utterly abhorrent,” and warned that inflammatory rhetoric targeting civilians must stop immediately.
South Sudan’s government, however, said the statement did not amount to an official order, insisting it remains committed to protecting civilians.
Minister of Information Ateny Wek Ateny said civilians were being warned only to avoid being caught in crossfire.
The development comes amid escalating fighting in Jonglei, where forces loyal to suspended Vice-President Riek Machar have seized several areas.
The military has ordered civilians, UN personnel and aid workers to evacuate three counties—Nyirol, Uror and Akobo—ahead of an imminent operation.
The UN says more than 180,000 people have been displaced by the renewed violence.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high as opposition forces threaten to advance towards the capital, Juba, a claim dismissed by the army.
South Sudan has been unstable since a 2018 peace deal ended a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people, but lingering political rivalry and ethnic tensions continue to threaten fragile peace.
Rwanda sues UK over scrapped migrant deal payments
The Rwandan government has initiated arbitration proceedings against the United Kingdom, seeking payments it says are owed under the now-abandoned asylum partnership agreement between both countries.
Rwanda has filed the case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, arguing that the UK failed to honour financial commitments contained in the deal signed under the former Conservative government.
The agreement, designed to relocate some asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda, was scrapped in 2024 by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with the Home Office saying about £220m in future payments would no longer be made.
UK authorities insist the policy was costly and ineffective, pledging to defend the case to protect taxpayers’ funds.
Rwanda, however, says the arbitration concerns unmet treaty obligations and is seeking a legal determination of both parties’ rights under international law.
The PCA lists the case as pending, with no timetable yet announced for hearings or a ruling.
Court, Congress Pile Pressure on DHS Over Minnesota Operations
UN Raises Alarm Over ‘Spare No-One’ Rhetoric by South Sudan Army Chief
Rwanda sues UK over scrapped migrant deal payments
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