In the wee hours of Sunday May 19, 2024 gunshots were heard throughout Gombe district in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as around twenty gunmen, whose identity is yet to be established, attempted to storm the residence of country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Vital Kamerhe.
The violent exchange resulted in the deaths of two police officers responsible for Kamerhe’s security and one attacking soldier, according to reports.
At approximately 4:30 a.m, armored vehicles were deployed from the Pullman Hotel to the presidential palace along Tshatshi Boulevard. The operation, which lasted until 6:00 a.m., saw military forces strategically positioned in front of the Pullman Hotel and the Fleuve du Congo Hotel to flush out the armed men.
Eyewitnesses reported that some of the attackers fled towards the Palais de la Nation, where they appeared to be surrounded.
“Drones were reportedly used during the attack, and the attackers abandoned a minibus in the street,” corroborating sources reported. The area around the Palais de la Nation, the seat of the Presidency of the Republic, is currently cordoned off, and shots were still heard at daybreak.
Vital Kamerhe and his family, although threatened, were seen in good health but in shock, according to relatives. The army is currently conducting operations to dislodge the attackers from the Palace of the Nation, while some have fled.
The situation is currently under control, several attackers have been neutralized by the presidential guard, the reports add.
