Trending 
Nearly 50 prisoners escaped from a jail in south-western Democratic Republic of Congo during the night from Monday to Tuesday, local sources reported.
Arsene Kasiama, coordinator of a local civil society group, told AFP that 47 of the 104 inmates at Idiofa’s central prison had fled.
Built in 1937 under Belgian colonial rule, the facility lies about 600 kilometres east of Kinshasa and is severely overcrowded.
Kasiama said the escapees, confined to one of the prison’s two remaining cells, broke through a wall after suffocating in the cramped space. The officer on duty fired several shots to stop them but failed to prevent the breakout.
Confirming the incident, Idiofa administrator Adelard Kintolo admitted the prison was in poor condition and urged the government to build a new facility. Prisoner rights groups have long criticised the DRC’s overcrowded and dilapidated jails, calling for urgent reforms.
