KINSHASA: Security forces killed the leader of an attempted coup on Sunday in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Some 50 people including three American citizens were among those arrested, an army spokesman told Reuters.
Gunfire rang out around 4 a.m. in the capital Kinshasa, a Reuters reporter said. Armed men attacked the presidency in the city centre, according to spokesman Sylvain Ekenge. Whether President Felix Tshisekedi was on the premises at the time is unknown.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) armed forces repelled an attempted coup d’etat involving Congolese and foreign fighters on Sunday morning, a DRC army spokesperson said in a televised address..The army announces the arrest of American mercenaries. pic.twitter.com/Lfsv5FvINw
— African News feed. (@africansinnews) May 19, 2024
Another attack took place at the nearby home of Vital Kamerhe, a member of Congo’s parliament tipped to become speaker.
Moto Muhima said two guards and an attacker had been killed in that incident. Ekenge too said one attacker was killed there.
A shell fired from Kinshasa hit the city of Brazzaville in neighbouring Republic of Congo, injuring several people.
Ekenge named Christian Malanga, a U.S.-based Congolese politician, as the leader of the attempted coup.
“Malanga was definitively neutralised during the attack on the Palais de la Nation,” Ekenge told Reuters. “A certain Aboubacar was neutralised during the attack on the residence of Vital Kamarhe,” he said. “The others – around 50 including three American citizens – were arrested and are currently undergoing interrogation by the specialised services of the Armed Forces.”
He said Malangahad aborted a coup in 2017, and one of the American citizens arrested was Malanga’s son.
A Facebook page appearing to belong to Malanga posted a live-streamed video of what appeared to be the attack.
“We, the militants, are tired. We cannot drag on with Tshisekedi and Kamerhe, they have done too many stupid things in this country,” Malanga said in Lingala in the video, which has not been independently verified by Reuters.
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U.S. Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn expressed very serious concern in a social media post that reports allegedly involved American citizens in the events.
“Please be assured that we will cooperate with the DRC authorities to the fullest extent as they investigate these criminal acts and hold accountable any U.S. citizen involved in criminal acts,” she said.
Earlier, the U.S. embassy issued a security alert warning of “ongoing activity by DRC security elements” and reports of gunfire in the area.
What is known about the coup attempt in Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo :
The residence of Vital Kamerhe, deputy prime minister and candidate for chairman of the National Assembly, was attacked by armed men, and two policemen guarding it were killed.
Armed men also invaded… pic.twitter.com/1pCyhUI1hI
— S p r i n t e r F a c t o r y (@Sprinterfactory) May 19, 2024
The UN stabilisation mission in the DRC condemned the incident and offered support to the Congolese authorities.
(REUTERS)
In a career spanning three decades and counting, Ramananda (Ram to his friends) has been the foreign editor of The Telegraph, Outlook Magazine and the New Indian Express. He helped set up rediff.com’s editorial operations in San Jose and New York, helmed sify.com, and was the founder editor of India.com.
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