Coup attempt foiled in DR Congo
An attempted coup has been thwarted on Sunday morning, May 19 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), DRC Army says.
The army disclosed that Congolese and foreign fighters were involved in the coup d’etat which was repelled by the Nigerian Army.
DRC army spokesperson, Sylvain Ekenge, made the revelation in a televised address on the state-run RTNC TV, this morning.
“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,” Ekenge said
Ekenge said several suspects have been detained and the “situation is now under control”.
His statement comes hours after armed men attacked the house of Vital Kamerhe, the former chief of staff and close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi.
Kamerhe’s residence is about two kilometres from the presidential palace. Michel Muhima, Kamerhe’s spokesperson, had said the gunmen clad in military uniform engaged the politician’s guards in a shootout, leaving three people dead.
Muhima said two of the deceased were police officers attached to Kamerhe while the other was one of the attackers.
The unrest in the country comes amid a dispute in the ruling party over the postponement of an election for the leadership of the country’s national assembly.
President Tshisekedi met with parliamentarians and party leaders on Friday in a bid to resolve the crisis. Tshisekedi was reelected as president in December 2023 when he received more than 70 percent of votes in the first round of voting.
