Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2013 — dissident coup attempt

Event Summary

On 30 December 2013 armed followers of a fringe religious figure launched coordinated attacks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, assaulting the state television headquarters, the international airport, and a military base in the capital Kinshasa, as well as targets in other cities, in an abortive uprising against President Joseph Kabila. The assailants were disciples of Paul Joseph Mukungubila, a self proclaimed prophet and former presidential candidate who preached a messianic message and had denounced Kabila's government, claiming among other things to be liberating the country from Rwandan influence. In the Kinshasa attacks, the lightly armed followers briefly stormed the state broadcaster, RTNC, and even got a man on air to proclaim their cause before security forces retook the building; they also assaulted the airport and the Kokolo military camp.

The government swiftly crushed the poorly organized attacks, which left dozens dead, most of them assailants, and hunted down Mukungubila's followers in a crackdown that drew accusations of extrajudicial killings. Kabila was unharmed and remained in power. The bizarre episode, one of several destabilizing incidents of his rule, underscored the DRC's persistent volatility.