The Coordination urbaine de la Société civile Forces vives de Beni has sounded the alarm over the detention conditions at Kangbayi central prison in Beni, North Kivu province. Following a visit on September 25, 2026, the organization reported difficulties with food, healthcare, and overcrowding. Several inmates claimed to have gone without food for at least two weeks. The prison's food storage was found to be empty, a situation deemed particularly worrying given the number of inmates.
According to Me Paluku Kavota Pépin, president of the Coordination urbaine de la Société civile Forces vives de Beni, the situation exacerbates the challenges faced by inmates, including access to food, healthcare, and general detention conditions. The organization is calling on authorities to take urgent measures to address the food and healthcare needs of inmates and improve their detention conditions.
The Kangbayi central prison, initially designed to hold around 250 people, currently houses 2,358 inmates, according to the Société civile. In 2025, the prison director reported over 1,200 inmates held without trial. Like other prisons in the country, Kangbayi continues to experience deaths related to poor detention conditions. Human rights organizations have repeatedly denounced overcrowding, lack of food, and limited access to water and healthcare in various prisons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Coordination urbaine de la Société civile Forces vives de Beni expressed indignation over the perceived discrimination by central authorities, who allegedly only provide support to a few prisons nationwide. The organization is urging provincial and urban authorities, partners, and individuals to address the situation before it leads to loss of life in the Kangbayi prison.
Reports from human rights organizations often associate poor detention conditions with inmate deaths, with a significant proportion of inmates held in preventive detention. The situation in Kangbayi prison highlights the broader challenges faced by prisons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where overcrowding, food shortages, and limited access to healthcare are common.
The Coordination urbaine de la Société civile Forces vives de Beni is calling for urgent action to address the needs of Kangbayi prison inmates. The organization emphasizes the need for authorities to take responsibility for the detention conditions and ensure that inmates receive basic necessities like food and healthcare.
The situation at Kangbayi prison is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by prisons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With a growing inmate population and limited resources, addressing the root causes of these challenges will require sustained efforts from authorities and stakeholders.
Key points
- The Kangbayi central prison is severely overcrowded, with 2,358 inmates, and many have gone without food for at least two weeks.
- The Coordination urbaine de la Société civile Forces vives de Beni is calling for urgent action to address the food and healthcare needs of inmates.
- The situation in Kangbayi prison highlights the broader challenges faced by prisons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where overcrowding, food shortages, and limited access to healthcare are common.
