A stampede at a military stadium has killed at least 37 people in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, authorities said on November 21.
Last week, the army in the Central African country, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, announced it was recruiting 1,500 people between the ages of 18 and 25. A large number of young people responded to the recruitment call.
The unfortunate incident occurred on the night of November 20 and the morning of November 21 when the candidates were directed to the Michel d'Ornano Stadium in the center of the capital Brazzaville. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo, Anatole Collinet Makosso, said that in addition to the 37 people who died, many others were injured in this "tragedy".
“A crisis management unit has been set up under the direction of the prime minister,” a statement added. Other details about the incident remained vague.
Prosecutor Oko Ngakala said an investigation would be launched into why the recruitment was still taking place at midnight.
A stampede that killed at least 37 people occurred during a military recruitment drive that lasted until dawn on November 21, 2023 at the Michel d'Ornano stadium in Congo-Brazzaville. Photo: Vanguard Nigeria
Brandon Tsetou, a young graduate who was lucky enough to escape the suffocating crowd, said he had been queuing in front of the Ornado stadium since the morning of November 20.
“According to the organizers, it was the last day. That’s why many of us decided to wait until late at night to register,” Tsetou told the AP. “Some people were so impatient that they rushed in, causing a stampede that killed or injured some people, which we are very sorry about.”
Long queues have formed outside recruitment centres every day over the past week as young people seek to join the army – one of the few institutions providing employment in the Republic of Congo. Up to 700 people have signed up each day, against a total quota of just 1,500.
Unemployment is rampant in the country of 5.8 million people, where, according to the World Bank, “75% of the workforce works in the informal sector, is self-employed or in low-productivity jobs . ”
Minh Duc (According to AP, Al Jazeera)
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