Failed coup attempt in Congo
Featured image: Police at the scene of the coup attempt. Source: The Salt Lake Tribune
The army of the DR Congo reported on the 19th of May that it has thwarted a coup attempt involving US citizens in the capital city Kinshasa. In the morning, around 20 armed men wearing the army uniforms attacked the residency of Vital Kamerhe, the former chief of staff and close ally of president Felix Tshisekedi, and occupied the presidential palace. The assailants were led by Christian Malanga, a lackey of US imperialism who for decades has lived in the US and who reportedly already in 2017 attempted to make a coup. Malanga was shot dead during the coup attempt. Other named foreign citizens involved have been identified in the local media as Malanga’s son and his business partner involved in cannabis trade and gold mining. In videos on social media, Malanga was seen chanting “New Zaire!” and threatening Tshisekedi. The coup seems to be quite amateurish and far from succeeding.
Tshisekedi was reelected president in December in an electoral circus which has been criticized as illegitimate by his rivals and had a turnout of only 40%. He has also not yet been able to form a government, and is also dealing with the armed group M23 advancing in the country. Therefore a researcher of the US think tank Africa Center for Strategic Studies points out there is a possibility that the attempt was orchestrated to consolidate the regime of Tshisekedi.
DR Congo is one of the poorest countries in world, with the imperialists robbing it from its valuable minerals such as cobalt, an important material for electronics. Most of the mines are owned by Chinese social-imperialism, causing concern for US imperialism. In addition, it is expressing its concern for the armed group M23 taking over larger and larger areas of the country, especially seizing the valuable mines. In the country, a large UN “peacekeeping” force is on the retreat as it has faced fierce opposition from the people of the Congo and failed to stabilize the country in the interests of the imperialists. With this coup, US imperialism is once again creating more chaos in an attempt to desperately keep the country in their choke hold and deepening the crisis of bureaucratic capitalism in the country.
