Government forces battled attackers at military installations and television headquarters in the Congolese capital Sunday in what diplomats called a coup attempt against President Joseph Kabila. Fighters loyal to the late Congo dictator Mobutu Sese Seko were among those behind the attempt, British Ambassador Jim Atkinson told The Associated Press.
| Miss being in charge, plus their unemployment ran out. |
The coup attempt began before dawn and lasted through four hours of gunfire. Shooting eased by late morning, with the coup attempt apparently contained by loyalist troops. Kabila was believed in the country on Sunday, but where was unclear. "I have it on good authority that he's safe," Atkinson said.
| Hiding out, waiting to make sure the coup is over before he makes his heroic return. |
Fighting subsided by late morning, but some gunfire still could be heard, Atkinson said. Government spokesman Vital Kamerhe said the gunmen attacked simultaneously at several military posts and the private television station, killing one loyalist soldier and injuring two others.
| Going for the tv station to announce they'd seized power, page 152 of "Coups For Dummies". |
"We have the situation under control," Kamerhe told The Associated Press. "There have been arrests in the assailants' ranks and we've taken some arms and ammunitions." Diplomats believed the attempt was the work of soldiers loyal to Mobutu, Congo's Cold War ruler. Thousands of Mobutu soldiers fled across the Congo River to Brazzaville, capital of neighboring Republic of Congo, after Mobutu was ousted in 1997.
| The Congo, not to be confused with the Republic of Congo. |
"They've infiltrated into Kinshasa with weapons, presumably over the past days and weeks," Atkinson, the British diplomat said. "This morning they began attacking at various places." Shooting was heard around Kinshasa's Congo River port, directly across from Brazzaville. A Congo army officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some of the attackers had come from Brazzaville overnight, passing a security post where soldiers were asleep on duty.
"zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...., hey, you hear something?"
"Nah, it's nothing, just gunfire. Go back to sleep." |
The officer spoke at an office building downtown that was surrounded by about 100 soldiers. Security forces believed some of the attackers were inside, the officer said. The building was near the U.S. Embassy and the headquarters of the U.N. mission in Congo. Residents said shooting had been heavy in the area during the fighting.
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