An attempted jailbreak at the Democratic Republic of Congo’s largest and chronically overcrowded prison this week has left at least 129 people dead, the interior minister said Tuesday.

The circumstances around the bid to bust out of Makala prison in the capital Kinshasa in the early hours of Monday remain unclear.

But Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani in a statement released by video to the media on Tuesday announced a provisional death toll of 129 people.

They included “24 who were shot after warnings”, he said.

At least 59 others had been wounded and were receiving care, he added.

Witnesses told AFP that they had heard gunfire at around 2:00 am on Monday and that it lasted for several hours in the area of the prison, a popular and residential neighbourhood.

Daddi Soso, an electrician in his 40s, said he had seen security force vehicles taking bodies away in the early hours.

On Monday, police had cordoned off the streets leading to the prison, AFP journalists at the scene saw.

The interior minister said many people had been crushed or suffocated and that a number of women had been raped. He gave no details on their identities.

• ‘Under control’ –
  The authorities have given no indication as to how many inmates escaped or attempted to do so.

On Monday morning, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said only that the security services were at the scene and he called on residents to “not panic”.

A few hours later, he told national television the situation was “under control”.

Justice Minister Constant Mutamba later announced on X that inquiries were under way “to identify and severely punish the sponsors of these acts of sabotage”.

Makala prison, the biggest in the vast central African nation, has capacity for 1,500 inmates.

But it is highly overcrowded and rights organisations regularly complain about the conditions of detention at the jail.

With between 14,000 and 15,000 prisoners, it holds around 10 times the number it is meant to house, according to official statistics.

As well as the human toll, the escape attempt caused damage to buildings.

A part of the prison, mainly that housing the administrative offices, was set on fire, the government said.

The prison was already badly damaged during an attack by armed men in 2017, which led to more than 4,000 prisoners escaping, some of them described as “dangerous” by police.

The circumstances leading to that large prison escape were never made clear despite the establishment of a commission of inquiry.

Sixty per cent of African youths, including Nigerians are looking to leave because unchecked corruption threatens their future, according to a poll of more than 5,600 youngsters in 16 countries released Tuesday.

Corruption is seen as the “single greatest hurdle” they face to achieve their own potential and a better life, said the Johannesburg-based Ichikowitz Family Foundation which commissioned the poll of 5,604 people aged 18 to 24.

“Most of all, they don’t believe their governments are doing enough to address this scourge and because of it almost 60% are looking to emigrate in the next five years,” it said.

Japa is a Yoruba language word used as a Nigerian slang term that has gained widespread usage among Nigerian youths. The term is used to describe the act of escaping, fleeing, or disappearing quickly from a situation, often in a hasty and urgent manner.

The 2024 African Youth Survey, which the foundation says is unparalleled in scope and size, was conducted via face-to-face interviews in January and February in countries ranging from South Africa to Ethiopia.

North America was the top pick for emigration for this age group, followed by Western European countries such as Britain, France, Germany and Spain.

More than half (55 per cent) of those polled said Africa was headed in the “wrong direction”, although there was a modest rise to 37 per cent in “Afro-optimism” from the 2022 survey.

“They want tougher sanctions against corrupt politicians, including banning them from standing for office. They also want a different form of government,” the foundation said.

Although about two-thirds of those interviewed believe in democracy, around 60 per cent were in favour of an “African-infused” form.

Nearly one in three believe that non-democratic systems, from the military or one-party rule, could be preferable under certain circumstances.

– China influence –

Most of those polled (72 per cent) said foreign influence was an issue. “They are concerned about their countries being exploited by foreign companies especially their natural mineral wealth being mined and exported without any further benefit to the people,” said the foundation.

A large majority (82 per cent) considered China’s influence as positive, with 79 per cent saying the same for the United States.

Perceptions of Russian influence increased, notably in Malawi and South Africa, with more than half of those with a positive view of Russia citing its provision of grain and fertiliser.

Most said a Donald Trump victory in the US presidential elections would be a far worse outcome for Africa than a win by Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

The African Youth Survey, first conducted in 2020, aims “to give voice to Africa’s youth in a scientific manner,” the foundation’s communications director Nico De Klerk told AFP. It also provides useful data to governments, NGOs and investors.

Africa has the world’s youngest and the fastest-growing population.

The median age on the continent in 2020 was 19.7 compared to 31.0 in Latin America, 38.6 in Northern America and 42.5 in Europe, according to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

Africa is home to nearly 420 million youth aged 15-35, one-third of whom are unemployed, the African Development Bank says. The population is expected to double to over 830 million by 2050, it says.

The 2024 African Youth Survey was conducted by PSB Insights in Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.

Nigeria And The Japa Syndrome

The mass exodus of Nigerians to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other advanced nations in search of greener pastures has been tagged “japa” which the elite referred to as a syndrome responsible for brain drain and modern slavery.

Recently, a scholar of Systematic Theology at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Godwin Akper, revealed that the unpalatable Nigerian environment is pushing many Nigerians out of the country to the developed nations.

Speaking about the japa syndrome, Akper said that the future of Nigeria was dependent on its people and the early realisation of the ethics of hospitality and ubuntu in the country’s local communities.

The don advocates that the Nigerian society should be hospitable to everyone including the youths, who are leaving the country en masse for other parts of the world to explore.

Akper said, “The future of our dear nation depends on our early realisation of the ethics of hospitality and ubuntu in our local communities.

“We teach ‘Nigerian peoples and cultures’, yet our graduates find it difficult to identify who they are as Nigerians; this may be a factor contributing to the ‘Japa’ syndrome among adults and our youths.

“This may be a factor contributing to the ‘japa’ syndrome among adults and our youths. Our graduates today hail their mates who secure either work permits or green cards to commence what I consider to be a journey towards slavery to Asian, middle Eastern and Western economies.

“We have left the dreams and ideals of the founding fathers of Africa and Nigeria. So, we are now reaping what we never planted.”

FG Approves Policy To Address Health Workers’ Migration

In the latest move to address the ‘Japa’ syndrome starting with the health sector, the Federal Government in August approved a new National Policy on Health Workforce Migration.

In a post on X, the minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling the challenges surrounding healthcare human resources in the country

He said President Bola Tinubu presided over the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where the policy was approved.

“This policy is more than just a response to the ongoing exodus of healthcare professionals; it’s a comprehensive strategy to manage, harness, and reverse health worker migration,” the minister said.

“It envisions a thriving workforce that is well-supported, adequately rewarded, and optimally utilised to meet the healthcare needs of all Nigerians.”

The country has been plagued with doctors and other allied medical professionals leaving for greener pastures in the United Kingdom, USA and major European countries.

In March, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, disclosed that in the last five years, the country lost about 15,000 to 16,000 doctors to the Japa syndrome while about 17,000 had been transferred.

Pate has also indicated that of the 300,000 health professionals in Nigeria,  an assessment showed 85,000 to 90,000 were registered Nigerian doctors which was a big concern to the health sector.

“There are about 300,000 health professionals working in Nigeria today in all cadres. I am talking about doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and others. We did an assessment and discovered we have 85,000 to 90,000 registered Nigerian doctors.”

According to Pate, the goal of the new policy is to encourage the return and reintegration of Nigerian health professionals from the diaspora.

President Paul Biya of Cameroon has said that he will contest the country’s presidential election again despite being 93-years-old in 2025.

Kennedy Wandera made this known on Thursday with the founder of the Foreign Press Association Africa quoting news media, The EastAfrican.

“Cameroon is due to hold its next presidential election in 2025, longtime President Paul Biya will be 93. He has confirmed that he will contest,” the report read.

“If he wins the election, and completes the new seven-year mandate, Biya will be 100 years in 2032.”

The report disclosed that Biya’s decisions to delay the election by one year and to permit him to contest despite his age have angered opposition politicians in Cameroon.

According to the report, even these opponents may not be permitted to contest, leaving Biya free to triumph again and rule for another seven years.

“Cameroon’s parliament last month approved Biya’s request to postpone parliamentary and municipal elections until 2026 to allow some breathing space claiming that the political calendar is crowded,” the report added.

“Cameroon usually holds legislative elections before presidential ones, with the final candidates vying for the top job based on their parties’ strength in the legislative polls.

“Now, the election of MPs and municipal councillors, which are usually held in twos, will take place in 2026, after the presidential elections following Biya’s decree which effectively extends the mandate of lawmakers.”

The report, however, claimed that Cameroonians are reluctant to register as voters because they believe it is a waste of time and think President Biya plans to rig the election.

Biya who is currently 92-years-old is one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents, having taken over from President Ahmadou Ahidjo in 1982.

He has won a series of elections, most recently in 2018, a victory that his opponents called fraudulent.

Senegal’s first satellite has been successfully launched into orbit, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said, adding the move marked a major step towards the West African country’s “technological sovereignty”.

The GAINDESAT-1A satellite was launched at 18:56 GMT Friday from the Vandenberg base in California, Faye wrote in a post on X late Friday.

“The result of five years of hard work by our engineers and technicians, this advance marks a major step towards our technological sovereignty,” Faye said.

“I would like to express my pride and gratitude to all those who made this project possible,” he added.

Senegal’s public broadcaster RTS said the satellite was designed and manufactured by Senegalese engineers, in partnership with the French Montpellier University Space Centre (CSUM).

The broadcaster said a Falcon 9 rocket took off from Vandenberg base and launched a number of satellites, including the GAINDESAT-1A, into orbit.

RTS said the satellite will collect data for various state agencies including the Directorate for Water Resources Management and Planning (DGPRE) and the National Civil Aviation and Meteorology Agency.

A total of 18,737 suspected or confirmed cases of mpox were reported in Africa since the beginning of the year, including 1,200 cases in one week alone, the African Union health agency said Saturday.

The figure accounts for three strains of the virus, of which one is the new more deadly and more transmissible Clade 1b which prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday to declare an international health emergency — the agency’s highest alert.

To date, 3,101 confirmed and 15,636 suspected cases have been reported from 12 African Union member states, resulting in 541 deaths — a fatality rate of 2.89 percent, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement.

The hardest hit country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the new Clade 1b strain was first detected in September 2023, has reported 1,005 cases (222 confirmed, 783 suspected) and 24 deaths in one week.

All 26 provinces in the DRC, home to some 100 million people, have reported cases.

Neighbouring Burundi reported 173 cases — 39 confirmed and 134 suspected — which marks a rise of 75 percent in one week.

More cases have been reported since the beginning of the year than all of 2023, which saw a total of 14,383 cases, according to the Africa CDC.

The first cases of the mpox outside of Africa were recorded this week, in Sweden and Pakistan.

The WHO will soon publish its first recommendations by its emergency committee and, along with NGOs, has also called for the ramping up of vaccine production.

Mpox is a viral disease that can spread from animals to humans, but also human-to-human through sexual or close physical contact. Symptoms include fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions

The Clade 1b causes skin eruptions all over the body, whereas previous variants caused localised lesions around the mouth, face or genitals.

The disease, formerly known as monkeypox, was first detected in humans in the DRC in 1970.

The deadlier Clade 1 has been endemic in the Congo Basin in central Africa for decades.

Seventeen human skulls buried in metal boxes have been unearthed at a suspected shrine in the centre of Uganda, police told AFP on Tuesday.

Children foraging for firewood outside Kabanga village near Mpigi town, about 40 kilometres (24 miles) west of the capital Kampala, made the grisly discovery on Monday, according to local media.

Police said residents told officers there were metallic boxes containing what appeared to be skulls buried in a shrine.

“We swiftly moved in and dug up the place, and so far we have recovered 17 human skulls,” regional police spokesman Majid Karim told AFP.

“We are conducting more excavations to ensure there are no more skulls other than what we have so far recovered,” he said.

He added that the remains were being examined to determine their age and sex, as well as when they may have been buried.

He urged the public to remain calm, saying some residents had been left in shock.

Officers will “investigate the matter to establish the circumstances surrounding the recovery of these skulls and who could be behind this act”, Karim said.

It is not clear how the skulls ended up at the site.

Local media reported residents as saying that people had previously gathered at the location to worship.

Police said the suspected owner of the site is on the run, having been linked to a separate case involving the murder of a prominent traditional Baganda leader, entrepreneur Daniel Bbosa.

The killing in Kampala was reportedly carried out by hired gunmen as Bbosa returned home from work in February this year.

Mpigi district, although densely populated, remains semi-rural, with agriculture dominating local trade.

Coffee and bananas are the major cash crops and staple foods, and there is a major road linking the villages to Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania.