- DR Congo military on Sunday, May 19, thwarted an attempted coup near the offices of President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa
- Legit.ng gathered that the attempted seizure of power allegedly involved “foreigners and Congolese”
- Unconstitutional military takeovers have been happening in Africa in the past few years, leaving observers deeply worried
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public journalism and global issues.
Kinshasa, DR Congo – The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC’s) army on Sunday, May 19, said it has repelled an attempted coup d’etat.
As reported by Al Jazeera, the army stated that Congolese and foreign fighters were involved in the coup which was reportedly thwarted on Sunday morning, May 19.
Photo credit: Glody Murhabazi
Source: Getty Images
DR Congo: Alleged coup partakers arrested
Sylvain Ekenge, the DRC army spokesperson, spoke in a televised address on the state-run RTNC TV.
Ekenge said:
“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 several suspects have been detained and the “situation is now under control”.
See the alleged photos and video from the incident below:
Second ‘coup attempt’ in DR Congo in 2 years
In February 2022, Félix Tshisekedi, the president of the DR Congo, reported a coup d’état.
The reports of a coup emerged when Tshisekedi was attending the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, of which he is the chairperson.
The reports caused Tshisekedi to leave the summit early to deal with the internal conflict in his country.
Subsequently, the government said it found “serious evidence” of a national security threat after arresting François Beya, one of DRC’s most influential intelligence figures with links to former President Joseph Kabila.
Coup crisis in Africa
Legit.ng reports that a series of coups in Africa is putting the unity and capability of the continent to the test as it seeks to restore civilian rule in countries such as Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger.
Some Africans consider coups as threats to the entrenchment of democracy and do not support them.
Nigeria’s army chief dismisses coup calls
Legit.ng earlier reported that the chief of Army staff, Lieutenant-General Taoreed Lagbaja, said personnel of his service had accepted the democratic system of government in place in the country and had no plan to truncate it.
Lagbaja described personnel of the Nigerian army under his leadership as agents of democracy.
Source: Legit.ng
