Coup bid thwarted in Congo

A small group of soldiers from the presidential guard, led by Major Eric Lengue, who had announced overnight that they had seized power, were seen at 9:00 am (0800 GMT) in four vehicles heading out of the capital, reliable sources said.

The security forces were hot on their heels, and a military helicopter was flying over Kinshasa, they added.

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The would-be putschists had stormed the national radio station at around 2:00 am to announce that the transitional government, led by Kabila, had failed and been suspended, the officials said.

Information Minister Vital Kamerhe said the "commando", as he called it, then headed to the national electricity company, SNEL, where they caused a power cut in Kinshasa that lasted some three hours, before electricity was restored at around 6:00 am.

Officials said several hours later that the coup bid had been thwarted, and reassured that Kabila -- who came to power after his father, Laurent, was assassinated in January 2001 by a member of his presidential guard -- was safe, and those behind the revolt were surrounded in a military camp.

Residents of the area reported hearing about six outbursts of heavy weapons fire coming from near the military camp shortly before 0600 GMT.

A few moments later, automatic weapons fire was heard in Kinshasa's Gombe neighbourhood, where Kabila's residence and office are located.

But by mid-morning Friday, witnesses said the renegade soldiers were on the run.

Kamerhe said on private Kinshasa radio station Top that the attempted takeover had failed, Kabila had been informed and order had been re-established.

Presidential spokesman Kudura Kasongo told AFP a few hours after the abortive putsch that the president "is fine" and under no threat.

"It was just someone trying to throw his weight around and who got inside the radio station," Kabila's spokesman Kudura Kasongo told AFP a few hours after the incident.

"The president is fine, I am in regular contact with him and there is no threat," Kasongo said.

The power cut engineered by the would-be putschists affected the entire capital and fueled rumours of trouble in the sprawling city, which two-and-a-half months ago saw another apparent coup bid, when assailants launched simultaneous attacks on four military bases in the capital.