| Heavy gunfire has been heard in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital, Kinshasa following a reported coup attempt overnight. Artillery and heavy weapons have been heard near state television offices, and in several other districts. Government officials said the "coup attempt" had been neutralised and that President Joseph Kabila was in control. It comes days after government troops recaptured the eastern town of Bukavu from dissident soldiers. Witnesses in Kinshasa have seen several trucks full of soldiers loyal to President Kabila moving around the city. At 0230 local time (0130 GMT), some renegade soldiers took over state television and announced that the army was in control. But the BBC’s Arnaud Zajtman in DR Congo says that television is normally off air at that time and so the announcement went largely unheard. Troops loyal to the government retook the station soon after, Foreign Minister Antoine Ghonda told the BBC. The mutineers also cut off electricity to Kinshasa for some three hours. |