President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo has appeared on national television, saying that a coup attempt has been thwarted. There was heavy gunfire in the capital, Kinshasa, after rebel soldiers seized the national TV station overnight. Artillery and heavy weapons were heard near Mr Kabila’s residence and in several other districts. This is the latest challenge to a power-sharing government set up last year to end five years of war. "Stay calm, prepare yourself to resist - because I will allow nobody to try a coup d’etat or to throw off course our peace process," Mr Kabila said, wearing military fatigues. "As for me, I’m fine."
He said that 12 people had been arrested. Other mutineers, including the alleged leader, Major Eric Lenge, were seen trying to flee the city. The gunfire is now reported to have ended and the United Nations Mission in DR Congo (Monuc) said there were no reports of unrest outside the capital. At 0230 local time, some renegade soldiers from the presidential guard took over state television and announced that the army was in control. But the BBC’s Arnaud Zajtman in DR Congo says that television is normally off air at that time and so the announcement went largely unheard.
| "It's 2.30 in the morning. Everybody's in bed and the transmitter's not plugged in. What in the world are you guys smoking?" |
Troops loyal to the government retook the station soon after, Foreign Minister Antoine Ghonda told the BBC. The mutineers also cut off electricity to Kinshasa for some three hours.
"Honey! The power's off!"
"Don't worry about it, dear. It's 2.30 in the morning. There's nothing on the teevee anyway. Come back to bed." |
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