DRC: The Congolese Army kills the Leader of the Coup Attempt

Christian Malanga, the mastermind of Sunday’s abortive coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is allegedly dead, according to the Congolese army.

The national contingent further states that it has detained about fifty individuals, three of whom are citizens of the United States.

Around four in the morning, gunmen attacked the presidency in the centre of Kinshasa, the country’s capital.

The attack on the Palais de la Nation has been linked to Christian Malanga, the opposition leader living in exile in the United States. According to reports, he was neutralised during the attack.

Malanga uploaded a live video of the presidential palace’s interior early on Sunday on what looked to be his personal Facebook page. He threatened Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi while surrounded by armed men.

The 41-year-old Congolese diasporan Christian Malanga Musumari was trained as a soldier. Before running for office in the 2011 Democratic Republic of the Congo legislative elections as a member of the opposition, he spent a considerable amount of time in the United States. He was detained prior to the elections for his overt anti-Kabila remarks.

A spokesperson for the army, General Sylvain Ekenge, confirmed the attack on the presidency but did not say if President Felix Tshisekedi was present.