An overnight coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was ”a freak incident,” South Africa’s Provincial and local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi said on Friday.
”Freak incidents such as these have no chance of success. I’ve been in contact with our friends in the Congo. It (the coup) was foiled — not surprisingly,” Mufamadi said to reporters in Pretoria after his return from a fact finding mission to the DRC.
Heavy automatic weapon fire broke out in the DRC’s capital Kinshasa early on Friday after the coup attempt overnight. Residents also reported gunfire near the private residence of the DRC’s President Joseph Kabila.
Mufamadi said a military delegation from the DRC will meet the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) this weekend to discuss training and security sector reforms.
Security analyst Henri Boshoff said the planned meeting could have a significant impact on the integration of the armies fighting in the DRC conflict.
It could also contribute to the formation of the Supreme Defence Council, seen as an essential ingredient for peace in the region.
Mufamadi said the majority of people in the DRC were committed to a peaceful transition to democracy, and that recent violence there — which prompted his visit — was a result of pressures incurred by the slow process of reform.
He dismissed rumours that Kabila had suspended the transition process following the early morning attack.
”We were in contact with him again this morning and he dismissed such rumours,” he said, adding Kabila could not suspend the process himself even if he had wanted to.
Mufamadi said his delegation — from Foreign Affairs, the Presidency and the SA National Defence Force — spoke to all role players on his short visit including United Nations representatives.
He said everybody in the DRC was undaunted by recent events.
He however admitted that the slow pace of reform appeared to be the cause of the recent upheaval.
He said the government, restricted by ”limited resources”, had still not legislated amnesty, nationality or started integrating the armed forces. This he said, ”was putting somewhat of a drag on the process of transition.”
He said the amnesty legislation had to be speeded up to ensured that there would ”be place for all” after the planned election in June 2005.
Mufamadi said Kabila saw the outbreak of violence as a time to pause and take stock. Kabila acknowledged there were problems — an acknowledgement that boded well, Mufamadi said.
”It helps the international community, including South Africa, pace itself and to see how best to help,” he said.
— Dressed in military uniform, Kabila said in his first address to the vast nation since the overnight coup that the leader of the plotters, Major Eric Lenge of the presidential guard, was still on the run.
”The aim is too arrest them all as quickly as possible,” said Kabila, adding: ”For the moment, the security forces, the army, are hunting for the major.” – Sapa