Shambolic Kinshasa coup attempt critically injures two in neighbouring Brazzaville

The Congolese Republican Guard and police block a road around the scene of an attempted Coup in Gombe, Kinshasa on 20 May 2024. The DR Congo military on Sunday thwarted an attempted coup near the offices of President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa involving ‘foreigners and Congolese’. (Arsene Mpiana/AFP)

• Two people were critically injured in Brazzaville (Republic of Congo) by a rocket fired from Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) during a coup attempt on the southern side of the Congo River, authorities have said.
• A US citizen was among those arrested for the failed coup, and a representative of the US government has committed to working with the DRC government to bring to book any Americans involved in the incident.
• It’s been five months since the DRC held its general elections, yet the country still has no substantive government.

Two Republic of Congo nationals were critically injured as a result of a rocket apparently launched from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by mercenaries during a foiled coup plot in Kinshasa.

Republic of Congo’s Information and Media Minister Thierry Moungalla said the rocket “affected” a dozen plots of land in Brazzaville’s M’Pissa District community called Three Francs – four directly and the rest via debris caused by the explosion.

Other than the seriously injured, “a few [other] people were slightly injured”, with one hospitalised, Moungalla said. 

This was the only incident to affect the Republic of Congo during the coup attempt across the Congo River on the morning of Pentecost Sunday, on 19 May.

The Congo River separates Brazzaville and its neighbouring capital city, Kinshasa.

Brazzaville is the smaller of the two cities, on the north side of the river, while Kinshasa sits on the south.

READ | Fringe DRC politician killed in foiled coup attempt – US business partner arrested

The cities are located near the downstream end of Stanley Pool, a near-circular enlargement in the river. 

On the DRC side, government departments such as the president’s office – which was targeted by the coup plotters – overlook the Congo River.

A coup of 50

By the end of the day on Sunday, 50 people had been arrested for playing a part in the foiled coup, the DRC said.

Some are said to have escaped by jumping into the Congo River.

The alleged coup leader, Christian Malanga, was killed. His close associate, American citizen Benjamin Zalman-Polun from Maryland, was arrested.

Malanga’s son Marcel, 22, was also arrested.

Having learnt about the involvement of an American citizen, the US ambassador to the DRC, Lucy Tamlyn, said she would fully cooperate with the DRC government to bring to account any Americans who were involved.

She said:

“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 US citizen involved in criminal acts,” Tamlyn said.

According to a video posted on Malanga’s Facebook page as the coup attempt was under way, the target was Judith Suminwa Tuluka, who was recently nominated to become the DRC’s first female prime minister.

However, the group didn’t know her address, and they then intended to go to the home of Jean-Pierre Bemba, the country’s deputy prime minister who doubles as defence minister.

However, upon learning that Bemba was not at home, they then went for the former president of the National Assembly, Vital Kamerhe.

The coup attempt happened just over a month after DRC’s senatorial elections.

Five months after the presidential elections, the DRC is yet to have a substantive government while the ruling coalition engaged in internal squabbles.

The National Assembly, which must validate the next government, is yet to elect its speaker.

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