DR Congo: What we know about the foiled coup

More details have emerged after an attempted coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was thwarted. Early May 19 morning, a few dozen men in military uniform, led by Christian Malanga, a former Congolese military officer, reportedly crossed the river separating Congo (formerly Brazzaville) from the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa.

For years, Malanga led a small opposition movement in exile. The son of a political refugee, Malanga was raised in the United States, where he obtained dual citizenship. Returning to his native country in the mid-2000s, he attained the rank of captain before venturing into business. Opposed to then-president Joseph Kabila, he was briefly arrested before the 2011 legislative elections. In exile, Malanga sought to rally the diaspora around his new movement and staged several commando missions before ultimately taking action.

In the early morning hours of May 19, Malanga and his small group of armed men headed to the residence of the new prime minister, Judith Suminwa. Failing to locate her exact address, the coup plotters retreated to the villa of Defense Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba. Unable to find him at home, the group targeted the residence of Vital Kamerhe, Deputy Prime Minister of Economy. The two policemen on duty were killed, but their target managed to hide.

« Long live Zaire, long live the children of Mobutu »

The coup plotters finally retreated to the Palace of the Nation, located a bit further from their intended target, after obtaining a jeep that allowed them to enter the lightly guarded compound. A mobile phone video showed Malanga, surrounded by about twenty members of his commando group, declaring: « The time has come. Long live Zaire, long live the children of Mobutu. Félix Tshisekedi (the president) has fallen. We are the victors. »

This was probably one of his last public statements, as the Republican Guard abruptly halted the coup attempt. During the gunfight, at least four coup plotters were killed, including Malanga. The army arrested about 40 people, including two American nationals. In a video, Malanga’s son and a white man speaking English, who had visibly been beaten, are seen surrounded by soldiers.

A few hours after the operation ended, Lucy Tamlyn, the US Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, stated in French on X (formerly Twitter) that she was « very concerned about reports of American citizens allegedly involved » in this coup attempt, and assured that she was cooperating with the authorities. The investigation will seek to clarify the conditions under which a group of men could easily infiltrate the Palace of the Nation, where President Félix Tshisekedi was absent, and establish possible complicity within the army.

The coup attempt also underscores the fragility of the regime in the DRC. The country still does not have a new parliament or government five months after the election, due to intense negotiations for the allocation of ministerial seats. The country is also facing a serious security crisis in its eastern region with the M23 rebellion, supported by Rwanda, occupying vast territories in the North Kivu province.