Untold Story of Malanga Musumari; Man Whose Coup Attempt Failed To Nail DRC’s Tshisekedi

On 19 May 2024, an attempted coup d’état took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Targeting President Félix Tshisekedi and his Economy Minister Vital Kamerhe, it was foiled quickly by the security forces.

It was led by Christian Malanga who was killed during an attack on the presidential palace in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa.

Christian Malanga Musumari, born on February 2, 1983, in Kinshasa, was a former Congolese military officer who resided in the United States with his family.

He was the president of the United Congolese Party (PCU), which he founded following his experiences during the 2011 parliamentary elections. Although Malanga contested parliamentary elections in 2011, he was arrested and detained for several weeks under the leadership of former President Joseph Kabila. Upon his release, Malanga went to the US where he founded the opposition United Congolese Party (UCP).

In 2013, Malanga was named the first ambassador of the International Roundtable on Religious Freedom.

On May 17, 2017, he established a government in exile in Brussels, marking the official birth of the so-called New Zaire.

Malanga (R) with his son who was arrested during the failed coup

After several years out of the public eye, Malanga reappeared Sunday morning during an armed attack on the Palais de la Nation in Kinshasa.

“We, the militants, are tired,” Malanga said to the camera, speaking in Lingala as his army occupied the president’s offices. “We cannot drag on with Tshisekedi and Kamerhe, they have done too many stupid things in this country.”

According to security sources, Malanga was killed by the FARDC while attempting to overthrow the regime. His son, along with several others, including an American citizen, was arrested.