In Kinshasa, calm had returned on Sunday, May 20 during the day, but confusion continued to reign after the Palais de la Nation, one of the presidential palaces in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the home of the Minister of the Economy were attacked by a commando of several dozen heavily armed men in the early morning. The authorities announced that “an attempted coup d’état” had been “nipped in the bud”, in the words of Sylvain Ekenge, the spokesperson for the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC).
This “attempt” involved around forty men, Congolese and “foreigners”, “three Americans and a British”, they said, who managed to brandish the flag of Zaire, the former name of the DRC , within the walls of the Palace of the Nation. While uncertainty remains over the objectives of this commando, whose alleged leader, Christian Malenga, and three other men were killed, these events weaken a power already under tension due to a war in the east of its territory and strong political uncertainties.
It was in some of the most secure streets of the Congolese capital, in the Gombe district, where there are headquarters of institutions and several residences of Congolese officials and ambassadors, that the attack took place. , around 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning. According to initial reports, men in military fatigues opened fire on the home of Vital Kamerhe, the deputy prime minister and minister of the economy, killing two of the politician’s fifteen guards who were there with his marry.
“Felix, get out.”
After about an hour of heavy exchanges of fire, the commando headed towards the Palace of the Nation, located in the same district, and managed to enter it without incident. The place is in theory still under the protection of the Republican Guard, but this presidential palace is mainly used for official receptions. It houses neither the residence of the head of state, Félix Tshisekedi, nor his main office.
“Felix, get out,” proclaims the commando leader in a video that he took the time to film within the confines of this palace. Surrounded by several dozen men dressed in fatigues and some wearing red berets, Christian Malenga claims to have taken power and brandishes the flag of Zaire, a yellow disk and red flame on a green background, the name of the country under the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko (1965-1997). “The time has come. Long live Zaire, long live the children of Mobutu, he said in Lingala. Félix has fallen (…), we are victorious. »
In circumstances that remain unclear, the attackers were then “neutralized”, in the words of the FARDC spokesperson. “Drones, jammers and Congo flags” were found and around 40 men were arrested, some of whom had sought to flee via the Congo River, which separates the DRC from Congo, where a “shell” fell , according to Brazzaville. “The army has perfect control of the situation,” assured its spokesperson, and the population was called upon to go about their business while the investigation continued. On Sunday evening, the Minister of Defense told Le Monde to “follow the operations” of his troops. Congolese authorities have released a video of an attacker who claims that initially, it had also been planned to attack the homes of the Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa Tuluka, and the Minister of Defense, Jean-Pierre Bemba.
Aged around forty, the alleged leader of the attackers, Christian Malenga, is a “naturalized American Congolese,” said the FARDC spokesperson. This soldier, who according to several sources served in the army of the DRC and that of the United States, where he lived, is a well-known personality in the Congolese diaspora. “A bit of a dreamer,” according to a Congolese politician who met him, he was nonetheless “determined.” He ran for legislative elections in 2011 and two years later founded a political party called the United Congolese Party, without roots or weight, but at the head of which he had aimed since 2015 to overthrow the Congolese regime, first of Joseph Kabila, then Félix Tshisekedi. The profile of this man and the course of the attack nevertheless raise questions among several observers contacted by Le Monde about possible complicity from which the commando could have benefited and about the real objectives of what was officially described as an “attempted coup.” State “.
High political uncertainty
Since coming to power in early 2019 – he was re-elected with 73% of the vote five months ago – this is not the first time that Félix Tshisekedi has claimed to be the target of destabilization, but Sunday’s attack is by far the most serious event. It takes place as eastern DRC is once again in the grip of war since a rebellion, the March 23 Movement (M23), went on the offensive again two and a half years ago, supported by neighboring Rwanda.
In addition to this security and diplomatic crisis, the start of Félix Tshisekedi’s second term was marked by strong political uncertainty. It took more than three months after the presidential election for the new prime minister to be named, and on Saturday the election of Vital Kamerhe, targeted by the attackers a few hours later, was postponed. “Voids in such positions always benefit our enemies,” said a close friend of the Minister of the Economy. The vote must now take place in the coming days and make this ally of Félix Tshisekedi the number two in the State in the constitutional order. A key appointment as the president unveiled a controversial constitutional revision project, raising suspicions about his desire to stay in power beyond 2028.
The African Union “strongly condemned” the attack in Kinshasa, as did the head of the United Nations mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), Bintou Keita, who offered her support to the DRC authorities. US Ambassador Lucy Talmyn said she was “shocked” and “very concerned by reports of US citizens allegedly involved,” in a message broadcast on X. “Please be assured that we will cooperate with the DRC authorities to the greatest extent possible,” she added.
