Nigeria’s Opposition Lawmakers Condemn Failed Coup In Congo, Want Perpetrators Punished   

Nigerian federal lawmakers belonging to the main opposition political party, PDP, known as the G60, have condemned the failed coup attempt in DR Congo, calling for prosecution of the perpetrators.

The DR Congo military on Sunday thwarted an attempted coup near the offices of President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa involving “foreigners and Congolese”, the Army spokesperson had said.

The coup bid took place in the early hours outside the residence of economy minister Vital Kamerhe, in the Gombe area in the north of the capital, near president’s offices at the Palais de la Nation.

“An attempted coup d’etat has been stopped by the defence and security forces,” said General Sylvain Ekenge in a message broadcast on national television. He added that the “foreigners and Congolese.… including their leader” would “all no longer cause any harm.”

Reacting to development, the Nigerian G60 lawmakers in a statement by their spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, frowned at the attempt to remove a democratically elected President, saying that the opposition lawmakers were troubled by the prevalence of coups on democratic institutions in Africa.

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Stating that assault on democracy must stop, the Nigerian federal lawmakers called for prosecution of the culprits and commended the Congolese Army for the swift intervention.

The statement read, “We are troubled by the increasing prevalence of coups on democratic institutions in Africa. We condemn in strong terms the failed coup attempt in DR Congo and we believe that their government will ensure that those that undermine the principles and institutions of democracy and erode the rights and freedoms of citizens are punished.

“The insecurity situation in some regions in the continent is being exploited to topple democratic rule, and we implore all stakeholders to work together to confront and defeat this dangerous trend. We call on all parties to prioritize citizens’ safety and security and seek peaceful and democratic solutions to the challenges facing the region.”