Attempted Prison Escape Causes Major Damage at Bandundu

Bandundu, March 7, 2026 - Significant property damage was reported Friday evening at the Bandundu Central Prison following a thwarted escape attempt by inmates. The prison’s food store and kitchen were set on fire, while the doors and windows of the police station and several cell block doors were damaged. Preliminary reports indicate one serious injury and several minor injuries, with warning shots fired by security forces to restore order. While some sources cite prolonged hunger as a possible trigger, provincial authorities suggest the unrest began as a minor incident between inmates that escalated. Governor of Kwilu, Philippe Akamituna, described the situation: “The final straw was when a prisoner insulted the storekeeper and was punished. Ferre, a convicted hardened criminal, encouraged him and incited everyone to revolt. They burned fresh food and tried to break through the back to escape. They damaged the entrance gate and the window. There’s no famine; the prison had 60 sacks of cassava, but they ransacked and burned the food supplies.” The incident comes days after civil society organizations in Kwilu condemned conditions at the Cinquantenaire Prison, noting that penitentiary subsidies had not been delivered for three quarters, leaving inmates in particularly difficult living conditions.