
* A group of about 20 assailants in army uniform attacked the residence and an exchange of gunfire followed
* Two guards and an assailant were killed in the attack on Kamerhe’s house, his spokesman said
* President Tshisekedi has not made any public comment on the situation so far
By Mbelechi Msoshi & Danai Nesta Kupemba, BBC News
The Democratic Republic of the Congo army says it has quashed an attempted coup against President Felix Tshisekedi in the capital Kinshasa involving Congolese and foreign fighters.

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DR Congo army spokesperson, Brigadier General Sylavin Ekenge told state-run broadcaster RTNC TV that 50 suspects, including three Americans and a naturalised British citizen have been detained, adding and that 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 Tshisekedi early on Sunday morning.
Witnesses say a group of about 20 assailants in army uniform attacked the residence and an exchange of gunfire followed. Two guards and an assailant were killed in the attack on Kamerhe’s house, his spokesman said in posts on X (formerly Twitter).
The men also occupied the Palais de la Nation, the office of the President of the Republic which is located in the city centre, a place highly secured by the Republican Guard.
Japan’s ambassador in the Congolese capital has warned nationals not to go out while President Tshisekedi has not made any public comment on the situation so far.

President Tshisekedi
Local media reports said the assailants were members of the New Zaire Movement linked to formerly exiled DR Congo politician, Christian Malanga, who has acquired American citizenship.
Malanga was shot dead at the presidential palace after he resisted arrest by security forces, Ekenge said, adding that Malanga’s son, Marcel was among the three American nationals arrested over the alleged coup attempt.
The US ambassador to DR Congo, Lucy Tamlyn said she was “shocked” by reports that Americans may have participated in the coup attempt.
“Rest assured that we will cooperate with the DR Congo authorities to the fullest extent possible as they investigate these criminal acts and hold accountable any US citizen involved,” Tamlyn said in a post on X.
African Union chair Moussa Faki said he “strongly condemns” the coup attempt and welcomed the response of the country’s defence and security forces.
The BBC has seen a video of Malanga saying in Lingala, a local language: “We the military are tired, we cannot march together with Vital Kamerhe and President Félix Tshisekedi.”
President Tshisekedi was re-elected for a second term in disputed elections last year in December, which he won about 78% of the vote.
Nearly 20 people were killed in election-related violence in the run-up to the vote.
DR Congo is a country with vast mineral wealth and a huge population, but despite this, life has not improved for most people, with conflict, corruption and poor governance persisting.
Much of the country’s natural resources lie in the east where violence still rages despite Tshisekedi’s attempts to deal with the situation by imposing a state of siege, ceasefire deals and bringing in regional troops.
What happened?
At around 4am local time on Sunday, dozens of men wearing military fatigues and armed with submachine guns and rifles attacked the residence of Kamerhe, a federal legislator who is an ally of Tshisekedi and is a favourite to become the speaker of the National Assembly.
The attackers also breached 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.

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At least three people were killed in the shootouts that ensued, including two Congolese security officials and Malanga, the leader of the attackers. Some 50 people have been arrested, the Congolese military said, including three American citizens.
Ammunition fired from the capital hit an area in the city of Brazzaville in the neighbouring Republic of the 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 aim?
Captain Christian Malanga Musumari was a wealthy businessman, politician and one-time military captain in the Congolese army. He was a resident of the United States where his family secured political asylum when he was a child.

Captain Malanga
Although Malanga contested parliamentary elections in 2011, he was arrested and detained for several weeks under the leadership of former President Joseph Kabila and upon his release, Malanga went to the US where he founded the opposition United Congolese Party (UCP).
Over the years, Malanga campaigned for religious freedom in Africa and led anticorruption training initiatives for young Africans in Europe.
Officials said Malanga first attempted and aborted a coup in 2017 but did not give further details. In a livestream posted on Facebook during Sunday’s attack, Malanga threatened the president and chanted “New Zaire!” — DRC former name.
“We, the militants, are tired,” Malanga said to the camera, speaking in Lingala as his army occupied the president’s offices. “We cannot drag on with Tshisekedi and Kamerhe, they have done too many stupid things in this country.”
Photos released later on social media showed Malanga’s corpse and that of another fighter. Officials said he was killed after resisting arrest.

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Who were the Americans allegedly involved?
At least three of those arrested on Sunday were American, including Malanga’s young son, according to the military.
Photos released on social media show the seized passport of another US national, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, who was allegedly involved in the Sunday attack. In a 2022 article in Africa Intelligence, Zalman-Polun is identified as a “cannabis entrepreneur” and a business associate of Malanga.
The DRC is highly rich in mineral resources and is one of the world’s largest producers of cobalt and coltan used in producing electronics like mobile phones. But the country has long been beset with crises.
The Congolese army is currently mired 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 town in the North Kivu province.
Thousands of people have been displaced and forced to flee the region to safety, and numerous others have died in the heavy fighting. The group is allegedly funded by Rwanda, although Kigali denies these accusations.
Separately, divisions within Tshisekedi’s ruling coalition over candidates for upcoming elections to some seats in the National Assembly forced the president to postpone a parliamentary vote scheduled for Saturday.—Additional reporting by Al Jazeera

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