On July 11, 2021, the military forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo claimed to have foiled a deadly coup attempt. This information was disclosed by General Leon Kasonga, the spokesperson of the Congolese army.
According to General Kasonga, a group of men attempted to seize power by force, but were stopped by the military. He noted that a number of suspects had been detained, amongst whom were American and Congolese civilians. Further investigations are currently being carried out to getting to the bottom of the matter.
The General did not provide further details about the American involvement, however, the U.S. State Department has been informed about the incident. American individuals have in the past been implicated in coup attempts in the African continent; however, the extent of their involvement varies significantly from case to case.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is arguably one of the most resource-rich countries in the world, but it is also politically unstable, with multiple rebellions, coups, and political power struggles occurring since the country gained independence in 1960.
Although the country recently had its first peaceful democratic transfer of power in 2019 after President Félix Tshisekedi took power, the political landscape remains fraught. Reports like this, of apparent coup attempts, underline the instability and political tension existing in the country. It is important to note that given the lack of detail about the American involvement, it is uncertain how this will impact the diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and the
Americans involved in foiled deadly coup, DR Congo military says
On July 11, 2021, the military forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo claimed to have foiled a deadly coup attempt. This information was disclosed by General Leon Kasonga, the spokesperson of the Congolese army.
According to General Kasonga, a group of men attempted to seize power by force, but were stopped by the military. He noted that a number of suspects had been detained, amongst whom were American and Congolese civilians. Further investigations are currently being carried out to getting to the bottom of the matter.
The General did not provide further details about the American involvement, however, the U.S. State Department has been informed about the incident. American individuals have in the past been implicated in coup attempts in the African continent; however, the extent of their involvement varies significantly from case to case.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is arguably one of the most resource-rich countries in the world, but it is also politically unstable, with multiple rebellions, coups, and political power struggles occurring since the country gained independence in 1960.
Although the country recently had its first peaceful democratic transfer of power in 2019 after President Félix Tshisekedi took power, the political landscape remains fraught. Reports like this, of apparent coup attempts, underline the instability and political tension existing in the country. It is important to note that given the lack of detail about the American involvement, it is uncertain how this will impact the diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and the
