The army of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced that it had stopped the plot to overthrow President Felix Tshisekedi, killed the coup leader and arrested three American citizens.
Democratic Republic of Congo military spokesman, General Sylvain Ekenge, said on May 19 that the coup faction opened fire early in the morning near the National Palace, President Felix Tshisekedi’s residence and workplace in the capital Kinshasa.
Some sources reported hearing gunshots outside the private home of Economy Minister Vital Kamerhe near the National Palace at around 4 a.m.
Democratic Republic of Congo security forces were deployed on the streets of the capital Kinshasa on May 19, after preventing a coup attempt.
The coup group apparently planned to attack the home of new Prime Minister Judith Suminwa and the residence of Defense Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba.
The group then approached the National Palace, waving the flag of Zaire, the former name of the Democratic Republic of Congo under leader Mobutu Sese Seko, who was overthrown in 1997.
`The time has come, long live Zaire, long live the children of Mobutu,` the man who appeared to be the leader of the coup group shouted.
However, military spokesman Ekenge announced on television that the defense and security forces had stopped the coup attempt.
General Ekenge later said that a number of American and British citizens were members of the group involved in the coup plot.
According to him, the coup group has about 50 members, including many nationalities, including three American citizens, who have been arrested and are being interrogated.
`We also took down a naturalized British citizen who played the No. 2 leadership role in the group. Malanga’s son, Marcel Malanga, also participated in the coup,` the Democratic Republic of Congo military spokesman added.
According to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, an artillery shell fired from the capital Kinshasa hit the city of Brazzaville in the neighboring Republic of Congo, injuring many people and requiring one person to be hospitalized.
Lucy Tamlyn, US ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, posted on X that she was shocked and very worried by the information that an American citizen was allegedly involved in a coup plot.
After the failed coup, streets near the National Palace remained closed, but the situation in the capital Kinshasa has returned to calm.
Location of the Democratic Republic of Congo and capital Kinshasa.
President Tshisekedi was re-elected at the end of December 2023 with more than 70% of the vote.
However, about five months after the election, he still has not formed a government.
