THE army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) thwarted a coup against the government of President Felix Tshisekedi. Three people were killed in the attacks in Kinshasa and several attackers, including foreigners, are now in custody. Who was behind the alleged coup attempt and the political churn in the DRC in the lead-up attack? The Congolese Republican Guard diverted traffic from the scene of an attempted coup in Kinshasa on May 19, 2024. The attackers were led by Christian Malanga, a politician and former military officer based in the US. The Congolese Republican Guard and police blocked a road around the scene of an attempted coup in Kinshasa on 19, May 2024. In the early hours, armed men in military attire stormed the residence of Vital Kamerhe, an ally of President Tshisekedi, and breached the Palais de la Nation, the president’s official residence. Despite Tshisekedi’s absence, three deaths occurred, including Christian Malanga, the attackers’ leader. Among the 50 arrests were three US citizens. This attack, in the Gombe area of the city, resulted in casualties and highlighted security vulnerabilities.
Ammunition from the attack reached Brazzaville, injuring several, highlighting the geographical proximity of the capitals separated by the Congo River. Led by Captain Christian Malanga Musumari, the assault lasted about three hours before being repelled. Malanga, a former Congolese military captain, resided in the US since childhood, founding the opposition United Congolese Party after experiencing political turmoil. He advocated for religious freedom in Africa and led anti-corruption training initiatives in Europe.Malanga’s 2017 coup attempt, marked by his chant of “New Zaire!” ended in his death after resisting arrest. His amateurish attack lacked strategic targeting, focusing on less critical sites like Kamerhe’s residence and the Palais de la Nation. Despite security concerns, presidents rarely use the official residence. Among the arrested were three Americans, including Malanga’s son, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun, a cannabis entrepreneur and Malanga’s associate.
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 mired in fighting with the M23, a rebel group that has been advancing from the east of the country in 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, and numerous others have died in the heavy fighting. The M23 group is allegedly funded by Rwanda, although Kigali denies these accusations. United Nations and East African peacekeepers were recently expelled from the DRC as the government accused them of being ineffective. Divisions within Tshisekedi’s ruling coalition over candidates for upcoming elections to some seats in the National Assembly forced the president to postpone an internal parliament vote. Tshisekedi was re-elected as President in December, following a chaotic poll that opposition groups say lacked legitimacy. He is yet to form a government. The coup attempt could give Tshisekedi a chance to consolidate his hold on the country.
A coup – no matter how shambolic, disorganised and silly – is a powerful weapon in the hands of a paranoid regime. It gives a Carte Blanche to switch on all the draconian pieces of legislation and law, to declare martial law, to ban NGO and civil society activity, curtail movement and free speech at whim, sow fear in opponents and beat everyone into silence. This would not be the first, or the last in Congo. This is the well-worn script of failed coups. Tshisekedi is yet to comment publicly, even as questions mount over how Malanga’s fighters managed to breach the security of the presidential palace. The attacks revealed lapses in the DRC’s security formation that could have ripple effects on the country’s many crises. If Kinshasa had fallen, the intensification of clashes in the east could have been feared. Hope the bad wind has passed in Kinshasa, but the government and the Congolese must learn lessons from it. The African Union has seriously condemned the recent Congo coup attempt. The military’s handling of the attacks is broadly lauded. A wave of coups across the continent has seen at least five countries. West Africa has come under military rule since 2020. Abdul Fatah Alsisi’s coup in Egypt is still on the neck of the Egyptians. Coups have long been an issue in African countries like Nigeria, Mauritania, Sudan, Egypt and Congo. African oil and gas power Nigeria has long history of bloody coups.
—The writer is author of several books based in Islamabad.
Email: [email protected]
