Army in Democratic Republic of Congo thwarts attempted coup, announces military officials | Global News

In a dramatic turn of events, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s armed forces successfully thwarted an attempted coup d’etat involving both Congolese and foreign fighters on Sunday morning. The news was confirmed by a DRC army spokesman, Sylvain Ekenge, in a televised address.

Ekenge stated, “An attempted coup d’etat has been put down by the defence and security forces. The attempt involved foreigners and Congolese. These foreigners and Congolese have been put out of action, including their leader.” However, he did not provide details on whether the individuals involved had been detained or killed.

Tina Salama, a spokeswoman for President Felix Tshisekedi, also verified that the presidential palace had come under attack on Sunday morning, but the army managed to regain control.

The situation escalated further when two guards and an assailant were killed in an attack on the residence of Vital Kamerhe, a member of parliament who was expected to become the speaker. The United States embassy issued a security alert warning of ongoing activity by DRC security elements and reports of gunfire in the area.

A Facebook page purportedly belonging to Christian Malanga, a politician based in the United States, posted a live-streamed video in which he appeared to be leading the attack. In the video, Malanga expressed frustration with Tshisekedi and Kamerhe, stating, “We, the militants, are tired. We cannot drag on with Tshisekedi and Kamerhe, they have done too many stupid things in this country.”

The attempted coup comes at a time of political uncertainty in the DRC, with Tshisekedi yet to name a government and Kamerhe vying for the position of speaker of parliament. The situation remains tense as the country navigates through this turbulent period.