DR Congo Army Thwarts Attempted Coup, Leader Killed

In a dramatic turn of events, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) army has successfully thwarted an attempted coup, resulting in the death of the coup leader and the arrest of approximately 50 individuals, including three American citizens. This information was confirmed by an army spokesperson to Reuters.

Gunfire erupted around 4 a.m. in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, according to a Reuters reporter on the scene. The armed men targeted the presidency in the city center, as reported by army spokesperson Sylvain Ekenge.

A simultaneous attack took place at the residence of Vital Kamerhe, a prominent member of parliament and potential speaker. This incident resulted in the deaths of two guards and one attacker. The details were confirmed by Kamerhe's spokesperson, Michel Moto Muhima, and the Japanese ambassador, both posting on social media platform X.

In a related incident, a shell fired from Kinshasa struck Brazzaville, the capital of the neighboring Republic of Congo, injuring several individuals. One person has been hospitalized, according to a statement from Brazzaville's government.

Christian Malanga, a U.S.-based Congolese politician, was identified as the coup leader. Malanga was killed during the attack on the Palais de la Nation. Another key figure, Aboubacar, was neutralized during the attack on Kamerhe's residence. The remaining suspects, including Malanga's son, are currently under interrogation by the DRC Armed Forces.

Ekenge noted that Malanga had previously attempted a coup in 2017, which was also unsuccessful.

U.S. Ambassador to the DRC, Lucy Tamlyn, expressed her concern over the involvement of American citizens in the coup attempt. She assured full cooperation with DRC authorities to investigate and hold accountable any U.S. citizen involved in criminal activities. The U.S. embassy had earlier issued a security alert regarding the situation.

The United Nations' stabilization mission in the DRC, led by Bintou Keita, condemned the coup attempt and offered support to the Congolese authorities.

President Félix Tshisekedi, re-elected for a second term in December, has yet to name a government, despite appointing a prime minister six weeks ago. The election for the speaker of parliament, in which Kamerhe is a candidate, was scheduled for Saturday but has been delayed by Tshisekedi.