The Democratic Republic of Congo
Two groups of men armed with machetes and machine guns on February 27, 2011, attacked the presidential residence in Gombe. President Joseph Kabila was not there at the time of the incident – between 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm. Reports said that at least six soldiers were killed, including several in the Congolese army. Eight of the attackers were also captured, and others were later interrogated. The situation in the capital returned to normal soon after. People later wondered if this was a coup, considering the perpetrators were only armed with guns and machetes. Two years later, in December 2013, attacks in the capital, Kinshasa, were launched by supporters of a religious leader, Paul Joseph Mukungubila, against television studios, the airport and a military base. The state security forces responded, killing around 54 of the attackers. About 47 of Mukungubila’s supporters were killed in separate clashes and around 100 people were arrested.
