A spokesperson for the DRC army has confirmed that the leader of an attempted coup in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been killed, and several individuals, including three American citizens, have been arrested.
According to a Reuters correspondent, gunfire erupted at 4 a.m. in the capital city, Kinshasa. Spokesperson Sylvain Ekenge reported that armed individuals stormed the presidential office located in the city center.
In a separate incident, there was an attack near the residence of Vital Kamerhe, a member of parliament expected to become the speaker. This was confirmed by Kamerhe’s spokesperson, Michel Moto Muhima, and the Japanese embassy, both of whom posted on X.
Moto Muhima stated that two guards and an assailant were killed during the attack. Ekenge added that one of the attackers was also killed at the scene.
Authorities in the neighboring Republic of Congo reported that a shell fired from Kinshasa struck the city of Brazzaville, injuring several people and leading to the hospitalization of one individual.
Ekenge identified Christian Malanga, a Congolese politician residing in the United States, as the mastermind behind the coup attempt. Malanga had previously attempted a coup in 2017. Among those arrested was Malanga’s son.
A Facebook page claiming to belong to Malanga streamed a live video of what appeared to be the attack.
In a social media post, U.S. Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn expressed her deep concern about the involvement of American citizens in the incident. “Please be assured that we will cooperate with the DRC authorities to the fullest extent as they investigate these criminal acts and hold accountable any U.S. citizen involved in criminal activities,” she said.
