The 2004 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) coup attempt was a foiled coup d'état against the UN-backed Transitional Government, led by renegade members of the presidential guard, including MajorEric Lenge.[1] At 2:40 AM local time on June 11, rebel forces briefly seized control of state broadcast stations and announced the suspension of the country's transitional institutions with Major Lenge assuming control himself.[2] The nation's capital of Kinshasa also experienced a blackout, reportedly caused by the rebels.[2] Lacking support from government officials or external powers, the coup failed miserably.
By dawn at 5:15 AM, loyalist troops had successfully regained control of state radio and forced Major Lenge and his men retreating to a military base in Kinshasa.[3] Sounds of shelling and gunfire could be heard in the capital as clashes took place in the military base, city center, and the presidential residence.[3] Lenge's men reportedly sought refuge by contacting several foreign embassies.[3] By midday, twelve of the twenty soldiers accompanying the ringleader to the base were already arrested while the rest fled, including Major Lenge.[3] He was later surrounded at Kinshasa's Ndjili airport by government forces.[3] However, Major Lenge including his men were somehow able to flee in a convoy of jeeps.[4] He eventually evaded capture, prompting opposition figures to accuse Kabila of staging the coup himself to gain emergency powers. In response, a presidential spokesman explained that reluctance to use force in order to not endanger civilians was the main reason government forces failed to promptly capture Major Lenge.[5] In July, he was extradited from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, to the DRC.[6]
The international community condemned the coup attempt at large: the African Union Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare praised the transitional government for being able to suppress the coup[7] while the United Nations in the DRC (MONUC) firmly supported the transitional government and denounced any threats to the transitional process.[8]
