South African President Ramaphosa Commends DRC for Thwarting Coup Attempt
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his satisfaction following the failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Sunday, May 19.
During an interview broadcast on his X account on Monday, May 20, 2024, Ramaphosa emphasized that the coup’s success would have been a “devastating blow” for the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
“I spoke to Kinshasa yesterday. I wanted to know what had happened. They explained to me that they had managed to contain the attempted coup, to manage those who had attempted it, and to arrest some. Some of those arrested are believed to be foreign nationals from several countries.
They are currently conducting extensive investigations. We are glad that the coup attempt did not succeed, as it would have been a devastating blow to the SADC.
We oppose coups in any circumstance because any change of government must be done through the ballot box, where the people express their democratic views,” said President Ramaphosa.
Furthermore, Ramaphosa reassured that the SADC force deployed in the eastern DRC is stabilizing the security situation.
“I am happy that they have stabilized the situation. Our troops are in the east trying to bring peace to this side of the DRC. So they have not been affected by all this,” he added.
FARDC spokesperson General Sylvain Ekenge announced on Sunday, May 19, 2024, that the army had foiled a coup attempt in Kinshasa.
According to a report from the Armed Forces Information and Communication Service (SCIFA), the operation, led by Christian Malanga, a former FARDC captain residing in the United States, involved around fifty individuals and targeted the residences of Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, Vice Prime Minister and Defense Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, and Economy Minister Vital Kamerhe, before moving on to the Palais de la Nation, the official office of the President of the Republic.
Following these events, the DRC government condemned the attack on the Palais de la Nation and reassured the population that measures have been taken to strengthen the security of institutions, officials, and the city-province of Kinshasa.
