Christian Malanga Dead as Government forces foil coup in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Government forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have successfully thwarted a coup attempt led by exiled politician and opposition leader Christian Malanga.

Christian Malanga appeared in a live-streamed video surrounded by several people in military uniform. In the live stream he made a direct statement to President Felix Tshisekedi. He said;  “Felix, you’re out. We are coming for you”.

They took control of the Palace and hoisted former Zaire flag before they were neutralized by security forces.

Malanga, who was an exiled politician, was one of those reportedly neutralized while his son and others were arrested.

The incident unfolding Saturday night has left the nation on edge as authorities work to restore order and investigate those involved.

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An official statement released by Congolese army spokesperson Brigadier General Sylvain Ekenge reads;

“An attempted coup d’etat has been put down by the defense and security forces. The attempt involved foreigners and Congolese. These foreigners and Congolese have been put out of action, including their leader”.

“The attempted coup d’état was “nipped in the bud and the situation is under control,”

Ekenge’s statement comes hours after armed men attacked Vital Kamerhe’s house.  Vital is the former chief of staff and close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi had his house is about two kilometres from the presidential palace.

Michel Muhima, Kamerhe’s spokesperson, had said the gunmen clad in military uniform engaged the politician’s guards in a shootout, leaving three people dead.

Muhima said two of the deceased were police officers attached to Kamerhe while the other was one of the attackers.

The unrest in the country comes amid a dispute in the ruling party over the postponement of an election for the leadership of the country’s national assembly.

Who Is Christian Malanga, Exiled Politician And DR Congo Coup Leader Killed By Armed Forces?

Who was Christian Malanga Musumari?

Malanga was born on January 2, 1983.

He was a Congolese politician, businessman, and former military officer who founded the United Congolese Party (UCP) following his participation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s controversial 2011 parliamentary elections. Malanga was appointed the first ambassador of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable in 2013.

Born in Kinshasa, Malanga and his family relocated to Swaziland as political refugees in 1993 and later moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1998.

There, he started several small businesses and co-founded the non-profit Africa Helpline Society. In 2006, he returned to the DRC for military service, rising to the rank of captain by 2007. After his service, he established Malanga Congo, a company involved in public works and mining.

Malanga ran for parliament in 2011 but was detained before the election. He subsequently formed the UCP and campaigned among the Congolese diaspora.

In 2017, he created a government in exile in Brussels, named the New Zaire, aiming to restore sovereignty to the Congolese people. He was also knighted Grand Cross by the Vatican in 2017. Malanga’s leadership in both business and politics marked his significant contributions to Congolese society until he died on May 19, 2024, in a failed coup attempt.

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