Kananga, 20 July 2018 - MONUSCO/Kananga correction unit conducted riot, hostage-taking and evacuation simulation exercise at Kananga central prison.

The whole central prison staff (security, intervention and training) in Kananga prison participated in the exercise aimed at enhancing their professional capacities as part of the implementation of the contingency plan that was validated on 8 June by the provincial authority in charge of the correction matters.

The scenario in this exercise consists in 6-month food shortage in the prison. As a result, a hopeless group of detainees visibly determined, defy prison authority and end up taking hostage the kitchen chef; they broke into the dormitory and blocked entrance to and exit from this unit, chanting hostile songs with a menacing tone.

In the absence of the prison director, the deputy director who was overwhelmed by the situation, informed the chief of division, who in turn, issued alert for all the prison staff to get mobilized and operated the contingency plan to restore order as quickly as possible. Participants moved to action, using whistle blows, 1 stretcher, 6 shields, and 12 batons, backed by the intervention troop who used the penetration gestures and techniques; they managed to save the hostage and to have the hostage held in the dormitory to be pulled out by the prison guards.

Under the Deputy-Director’s guidance, the guard restored order in the prison and isolated the rioters with the help of the police tasked to secure the prison.

‘’The MONUSCO-organized simulation exercise at the central prison in Kananga was aimed to test the operational capacity of the correction staff and to implement the action plan of the Prison Security Task Force recommending that the contingency plan be operated when the management is faced with wide scale incidents, which would involve the participation of all the political, administrative and judiciary officials at various levels.’’ , said Valentin Djossou, the head of the correction unit.