Newbell Prison fire Disaster: Will Government respect plans for new prison in Douala and others in the country?

Cameroon's vice prime minister of justice and keeper of the seal has announced governments' plans to construct a new prison in the economic capital of Douala and to rehabilitate the aged old Newbell prison. The prison which is said to be built at PK 19 is intended to decongest the overcrowded Newbell prison which is now surrounded with a series of problems.

By Yemti Harry Ndienla

Amadou Ali,whose ministry is in charge of prisons in the country made the statement at a news conference on the occasion of his visit to the Newbell prison to evaluate a recent fire disaster that killed nine inmates at the prison and also injured 78 others.

Minister Ali further told the press that a contract had been given to build a new prison with the capacity of accommodating 1,500 to 2,000 inmates. He maintained that the prison which is expected to cost an initial 118 million FCFA and located at PK 19 in the outskirts of Douala, on the Yabassi road would be completed next year.
The announcement gives a sign of relief that the newbell prison which was built in 1933 for about 800 inmates, but now holds four times that figure; that is 3,200 prisoners would be decongested. Only one in five of the Newbell inmates is a sentenced prisoner. While many others are detainees awaiting court trial, some have not even been charged.
Amadou Ali also announced that there will be extensive rehabilitation work done at the Newbell prison to the tune of 69 million FCFA.
Though at the time of construction in 1933 the Newbell prison was considered to be far away from town, today, the prison also suffers the disadvantage of being right at the centre of the county's economic capital and very closed to one of Africa’s busiest and most crowded markets - the Newbell market.
While the actual cause of the fire that occurred early Wednesday at about 4am is still unknown minister Amadou Ali said at the press conference in Douala that he suspected it was a crime intended to facilitate the escape of prisoners.

But it turned out to be the reverse as many also died or suffered injury as a result of being trampled upon by others in the mêlée. The death toll was nine dead and 78 with varying degrees of burns.
Only two months ago, armed law enforcement agents, following a tip off, shot and killed 17 prison inmates as they planned a mass escape from the said Newbell prison. December last year saw the escape of 20 prison inmates while Last March, there was yet an attempted jailbreak.
Coupled with the above problems the government had no option than to quickly make plans to decongest the Newbell prison which has become very volatile.

But given the government's apparent slow nature in reacting to emergency, some school of thoughts strongly believe minister Ali's announcement was just a smokescreen.