Five Inmates Escape From Crumbling Inongo Prison

Inongo, August 20, 2026 - Five detainees escaped from Inongo central prison in Mai-Ndombe during daylight hours, renewing concern over detention conditions and the capacity of the justice system to hold offenders.

The inmates fled while leaving their cells for basic needs and scaled a low perimeter wall despite warning shots from guards. Interim prison director Puis Ebiaku said the facility, in use since 1928, is severely dilapidated, with cracked walls, missing roofing and inadequate security infrastructure.

Ebiaku called for construction of a modern prison to allow proper operations. The Mai-Ndombe governor said the case had been raised with the central government.

Repeated escapes from the same facility highlight institutional weakness in the interior provinces and raise questions about rule-of-law enforcement beyond major urban centers.