DR Congo trial over foiled 'coup' bid opens

A proceedings opened successful the Democratic Republic of Congo connected Friday of astir 50 radical including respective Americans implicit what the service said was a thwarted coup effort past month.

Armed men attacked the location of Economy Minister Vital Kamerhe successful the aboriginal hours of May 19 earlier moving onto the adjacent Palais de la Nation that houses President Felix Tshisekedi’s offices.

The service aboriginal announced connected nationalist TV that information forces had stopped “an attempted coup d’etat”.

The proceedings began astatine astir 11:40 americium section clip (1040 GMT) earlier a subject tribunal held wrong the Ndolo subject situation successful the superior Kinshasa, AFP reporters saw.

The accused, who besides see 4 women, were dressed successful bluish and yellowish situation uniforms.

They took their spot successful a ample structure successful the situation courtyard wherever hearings instrumentality place.

Western diplomats were contiguous successful summation to journalists and lawyers.

The alleged crippled was led by Christian Malanga, a Congolese antheral who was a “naturalised American” and who was killed by information forces, service spokesperson General Sylvain Ekenge has said.

Ekenge said the attackers were made up of “several nationalities” and that astir 40 were arrested, with different 4 — including Malanga — killed.

The motive down the incidental remains unclear, but the authorities condemned it arsenic an “attempted destabilisation of the institutions”.

A tribunal papers shows that 53 defendants are being tried, including Christian Malanga, adjacent though helium is dead.

His son, who is American, arsenic good arsenic 2 different US citizens are besides being tried.

At slightest 1 Congolese antheral who is simply a naturalised Belgian is besides among the defendants.

The charges successful the lawsuit are “attack, terrorism, amerciable possession of weapons and munitions of war, attempted assassination, transgression association, execution (and) financing of terrorism”, according to the document.

A abstracted probe is being carried retired into extrajudicial executions allegedly committed by soldiers aft the operation.