DR Congo coup: Were Americans Involved in the plan?

Early on Sunday, officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) said that their army had prevented a coup attempt against President Felix Tshisekedi’s administration.

The attacks in Kinshasa resulted in at least three deaths, and a number of attackers—including “foreigners”—are being detained. This is what we know about the events leading up to Sunday’s incident, including what transpired, who carried out the purported coup attempt, and the political unrest in the DRC.

 

What happened?

Numerous men in military fatigues, with rifles and submachine guns, stormed the home of Vital Kamerhe, a federal lawmaker and Tshisekedi’s friend who is expected to win the position of speaker of the National Assembly, at around four in the morning local time (three in the morning GMT) on Sunday.

The attackers also invaded the president’s official mansion and offices, the Palais de la Nation, even though Tshisekedi was not present and rarely used the space. The two locations are in the Gombe neighbourhood of the city, which also houses several other government buildings and embassies. They are roughly 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) apart.

The assailants’ leader, Christian Malanga, and two Congolese security officers were among the three people who died in the ensuing shootouts. The Congolese military reported that some 50 people, including three Americans, had been taken into custody.

Several people were injured when artillery fired from the capital struck a region in Brazzaville, the Republic of the Congo. The Congo River separates the two capital cities.

It took almost three hours for the attack to be repulsed.

 

Who is Christian Malanga, and what was his aim?

Captain Christian Malanga Musumari, a wealthy businessman, politician, and former military captain in the Congolese army, is thought to have spearheaded the attack on Sunday. When he was a little child, his family obtained political asylum, thus he lived in the US.

Despite running in the 2011 legislative elections, Malanga was taken into custody by former President Joseph Kabila and held for a number of weeks. Malanga established the opposition United Congolese Party (UCP) in the US after being freed. Malanga oversaw anticorruption training programmes for young Africans in Europe and fought for religious freedom in Africa over the years.

🇨🇩 Dans un live sur sa page Facebook, Christian Malanga (membre de la diaspora congolaise résidant aux États-Unis), qui a toujours prôné le retour au Zaïre, est accompagné de son fils et de quelques personnes portant des armes à l’intérieur du Palais de la Nation. Il a déclaré… pic.twitter.com/FTE8St0IjH

— The Voice Of Congo (@VoiceOfCongo) May 19, 2024

Authorities stated that Malanga attempted and failed at a coup in 2017, but they did not provide any other information. During the attack on Sunday, Malanga shouted “New Zaire!” and threatened the president in a Facebook livestream. Zaire was the previous name of the DRC.

As his soldiers took over the president’s offices, Malanga addressed the camera in Lingala and declared, “We, the militants, are tired.” “We cannot continue to deal with Tshisekedi and Kamerhe; they have committed far too many foolish acts in this nation.”

Later images of Malanga’s and another fighter’s corpse surfaced on social media. He was slain, according to officials, when he resisted arrest.

Analysts speculate that Malanga may have had internal supporters who let him down, but they are confused how to interpret the army’s apparently inexperienced onslaught that proved fatal.

Professor Albert Malukisa Nkuku of the Catholic University of the Congo said, “Instead of attacking strategic sites like the two airports in Kinshasa, the military camps, and the RTNC [national broadcaster], the Malanga commando operation headed towards targets without stakes to overthrow the power.” Nkuku also noted that DRC presidents have rarely used the official residence due to security concerns.

“Why launch an assault at Vital Kamerhe’s home and already forfeit a significant amount of ammunition before reaching the Palace of the Nation?”

 

Who were the Americans allegedly involved?

The military claims that at least three of the people detained on Sunday were Americans, among them Malanga’s young son.

Three American citizens are among those arrested in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for their alleged involvement in a failed coup attempt, authorities said on Sunday, May 19. pic.twitter.com/m0Tk15B7M0

— NaijaEyes (@naija_eyes) May 20, 2024

Images shared on social media purportedly show the confiscated passport of Benjamin Zalman-Polun, a second American citizen who is suspected of taking part in the attack on Sunday. Zalman-Polun was mentioned as a “cannabis entrepreneur” and Malanga’s business partner in an Africa Intelligence report from 2022.

In a statement on X on Sunday, US ambassador to the DRC Lucy Tamlyn expressed “shock and concern” at the coup attempt. She continued, “Please know that we will fully cooperate with the DRC authorities in their investigation of these criminal acts and in holding accountable any US citizens involved in criminal acts.”

 

What’s the backdrop to Sunday’s attack?

Rich in natural resources, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the world’s top producers of coltan and cobalt, which are needed to make electronics like cell phones. However, the nation has long been plagued by difficulties.

The M23, a rebel organisation that has been moving eastward across the country in an effort to seize Goma, a strategically important town rich in minerals in the North Kivu province, is entangling the Congolese army in combat. Numerous individuals have lost their lives in the intense combat, and thousands more have been forced to evacuate the area.

Rwanda is purportedly funding the M23 group; however, Kigali refutes these claims. Recently, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo dismissed peacekeepers from East Africa and the United Nations, citing their lack of effectiveness.

Separately, the president was obliged to postpone a vote in the parliament that was supposed to take place on Saturday due to disagreements within Tshisekedi’s ruling coalition regarding candidates for upcoming elections to certain seats in the National Assembly.

In December, Tshisekedi was re-elected as president after a tumultuous election that opposition parties claim lacked credibility. Still hasn’t formed a government. According to Paul Nantulya, a researcher at the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, Tshisekedi may have an opportunity to strengthen his grasp on the nation as a result of Sunday’s coup attempt.

No matter how chaotic, ill-prepared, or ridiculous, a coup can be a potent tool in the hands of a paranoid government, according to Nantulya. It gives you carte blanche to enact all the harsh laws and regulations, impose martial law, outlaw the activities of NGOs and civil society organisations, restrict freedom of speech and movement, intimidate adversaries, and beat people into silence.

“In the Congo, this wouldn’t be the first or the last. This is the tried-and-true formula for failed coups, if we may use that term.

How have DRC government and African Union responded?

Even as concerns about how Malanga’s fighters broke through the presidential palace’s security system grow, Tshisekedi has not yet made a public statement.

According to Nkuku of the Catholic University of the Congo, the attacks exposed weaknesses in the DRC’s security structure that might have an impact on the several challenges facing the nation. He stated, “We could fear the intensification of clashes in the east if Kinshasa had fallen.”

“We can only hope that Kinshasa’s bad luck has passed, but the Congolese government and people need to learn from it.”

On Sunday, the African Union praised the military’s response to the attacks and denounced the coup attempt. At least five countries, mostly in West Africa, have been placed under military government since 2020 as a result of an abrupt wave throughout the continent.