3 Inmates Die Of Hunger In DR Congo’s Butembo Prison
The number of inmates in the DR Congo prison facility is on the rise while the prisoners are dying of hunger and diseases.
Three inmates of the Butembo prison in North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, have died of hunger within an interval of 48 hours, prison authorities said.
Two of the prisoners died on Saturday, May 14, while the third one died on Monday May 16.
Kasereka Kaghoma, Administrator of the Kakwangura section of the prison where the three inmates died, said the number of inmates in the facility has been on the rise while the inmates are suffering.
“Our prisoners are currently suffering. Today, Monday May 16, 2022, we have 804 prisoners,” Kaghoma said.
“Their numbers are increasing whereas our prison was built to accommodate 350 prisoners. With overcrowding, they suffer a lot from sickness and many of them die daily. On Saturday, two died and one other died today Monday. They died because of hunger.”
He called on good samaritans to come to the assistance of the prison to avoid a worse-case scenario that is looming.
“If we don’t get outside assistance, there will be so much damage. We are in need of medicines and we are in need of food,” he pleaded.
Meanwhile, the country’s Senate has summoned Rose Motombo Kiese, the Minister of Justice, to answer questions on the “lamentable situation” of prisons in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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