Who was behind the DRC’s attempted coup, and were Americans involved?

The attackers were led by Christian Malanga, a politician and former military officer based in the United States.

The army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) threatened a coup against the government of President Felix Tshisekedi in the early hours of Sunday, the country’s officials have said.

At least three people were killed in the attacks in Kinshasa, and several attackers, including “foreigners” are now in custody.

Here’s what we know about what happened, who was behind the alleged coup attempt, and the political churn in the DRC in the lead-up to Sunday’s attack.

At around 4am local time on Sunday, dozens of men wearing military fatigues and armed with submachine guns and rifles attacked the residence of Vital Kamerhe, a federal legislator who is an ally of Tshisekedi and is a favourite to become the speaker of the National Assembly.

The attackers also breached the Palais de la Nation, the president’s official residence and offices – although Tshisekedi was not present at the time. Both locations are about 2km (1.2 miles) apart in the Gombe area of ​​the city, which is also home to several other government offices and embassies.