The army of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) threatened a coup d’état against the government of President Felix Tshisekedi in the early hours of Sunday, the country’s authorities said.
At least three people were killed in the attacks in Kinshasa and several attackers, including “foreigners”, are now in custody.
Here’s what we know about what happened, who was behind the alleged coup attempt, and the political unrest in the DRC leading up to Sunday’s attack.
What happened?
At around 4 a.m. local time on Sunday, dozens of men wearing military uniforms and armed with submachine guns and shotguns attacked the home of Vital Kamerhe, a federal lawmaker who is an ally of Tshisekedi and favorite to become president of the National Assembly.
The attackers also broke into the Palais de la Nation, the president’s official residence and offices – although Tshisekedi was not present at the time. Both locations are about 2km apart in the Gombe area of the city, which is also home to several other government offices and embassies.
At least three people were killed in the ensuing shootings, including two Congolese security officials and the leader of the attackers – Christian Malanga. About 50 people were arrested, the Congolese military said, including three American citizens.
Ammunition fired from the capital hit an area of the city of Brazzaville, in the neighboring Republic of Congo, injuring several people. Both capitals are separated by the Congo River.
The attack lasted about three hours before it was repelled.
Who is Christian Malanga and what was his goal?
Captain Christian Malanga Musumari, who is believed to have led Sunday’s attack, was a wealthy businessman, politician and former military captain in the Congolese army. He resided in the United States, where his family obtained political asylum when he was a child.
Although Malanga contested the parliamentary elections in 2011, he was arrested and detained for several weeks under the leadership of former President Joseph Kabila. After his release, Malanga went to the USA, where he founded the opposition United Congolese Party (UCP). Over the years, Malanga has campaigned for religious freedom in Africa and led anti-corruption training initiatives for young Africans in Europe.
In a live on his Facebook page, Christian Malanga (a member of the Congolese diaspora residing in the United States), who has always returned to Zaire, is accompanied by his children and other people carrying weapons into the Palais de la Nation. I declare… pic.twitter.com/FTE8St0IjH
— The Voice of Congo (@VoiceOfCongo) May 19, 2024
Authorities said Malanga first attempted and aborted a coup in 2017, but did not provide further details. In a live broadcast posted on Facebook during Sunday’s attack, Malanga threatened the president and shouted “New Zaire!” The DRC was previously called Zaire.
“We, the militants, are tired,” Malanga told the chamber, speaking in Lingala as his army occupied the president’s offices. “We cannot continue with Tshisekedi and Kamerhe, they have done many stupid things in this country.”
Photos later released on social media showed the corpse of Malanga and another fighter. Authorities said he was killed after resisting arrest.
Who were the Americans allegedly involved?
At least three of those detained Sunday were Americans, including Malanga’s youngest son, according to the military.
Three US citizens are among those detained in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for their alleged involvement in a failed coup attempt, authorities said on Sunday, May 19. pic.twitter.com/m0Tk15B7M0
-NaijaEyes (@naija_eyes) May 20, 2024
Photos posted on social media show the passport seized from another US citizen, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, who was allegedly involved in Sunday’s attack. In a 2022 article in Africa Intelligence, Zalman-Polun is identified as a “cannabis businessman” and business associate from Malanga.
Lucy Tamlyn, U.S. ambassador to the DRC, expressed “shock and concern” about the attempted coup in a Sunday statement on X. “Please be assured that we will cooperate to the fullest with DRC authorities as they investigate these criminal acts and hold any citizen accountable.” of the US involved in criminal acts,” she said.
What is the background to Sunday’s attack?
The DRC is highly rich in mineral resources and is one of the world’s largest producers of cobalt and coltan, used in the production of electronic products such as mobile phones. But the country has long been plagued by crises.
The Congolese army is currently involved in fighting with the M23, a rebel group that has been advancing from the east of the country in its attempts to take Goma, a strategic, mineral-rich city in North Kivu province. Thousands of people were displaced and forced to flee the region to safety, and many more died in the intense fighting. The group is allegedly financed by Rwanda, although Kigali denies these accusations.
Separately, divisions within Tshisekedi’s ruling coalition over candidates for upcoming elections for some National Assembly seats forced the president to postpone a parliamentary vote scheduled for Saturday. Tshisekedi was re-elected president in December following a chaotic vote that opposition groups consider lacking legitimacy and which has yet to form a government.
How did the DRC government and the AU respond?
Tshisekedi has yet to comment publicly, despite growing questions about how Malanga’s fighters managed to breach the security of the presidential palace.
The African Union on Sunday condemned the coup attempt and said it welcomed the military’s handling of the attacks. A sudden wave across the continent has seen at least five countries, especially in West Africa, come under military rule since 2020.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
