DR Congo army says it thwarted attempted coup involving US citizens

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) army announced it has stopped an attempted coup against the country’s president Felix Tshisekedi, killing the coup leader and arresting some 50 people, including three American citizens. The video circulating online shows two culprits, who are thought to be Americans, begging for mercy as they were surrounded by government forces following a shootout in the capital Kinshasa. Reports in local media suggested the arrested men were CIA operatives although the US attempted to distance itself from any involvement: ‘I am shocked by the events this morning and very worried by the reports of American citizens allegedly being involved. Rest assured that we are cooperating with authorities in DRC to the fullest extent possible, as they investigate these criminal acts and hold accountable any American citizen involved,’ the US ambassador to the DRC, Lucy Tamlyn, posted on X.