"[Bintou] Keita is closely monitoring the evolution of the situation and stands ready to provide the Congolese authorities with all necessary support within the framework of her mandate," the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said on its Twitter account.

Earlier today, dozens of assailants attacked the residences of President Felix Tshisekedi and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Vital Kamerhe in an attempted coup that was quickly put down by the Congolese army.

The attempted coup was led by Congolese diaspora activist in the United States Christian Malanga, who was killed by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) after invading the Palais de la Nation, the presidential palace.

Malanga had posted several videos on his Facebook page showing a group of armed men in military fatigues in the halls and gardens of the palace.

"Enjoy the liberation of our new Zaire," Malanga shouted in English, as the attackers burned the flags of the DRC and waved the flag of Zaire, the former name of the DRC during the dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko.

The attackers claimed to be from the diaspora and were fighting to remove Tshisekedi from power, according to local media.

Around 4:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. in Lisbon), gunmen also attacked Kamerhe's residence, leaving at least three dead, including two police officers responsible for the politician's security and one of the attackers.

Security has been reinforced in the La Gombe neighborhood of Kinshasa, where the two residences and some of the country's main government and diplomatic headquarters are located.

The US ambassador to the DRC, Lucy Tamlyn, condemned the attack and said she was "deeply concerned" about the alleged involvement of US citizens.

Armed forces spokesman Sylvain Ekenge told public television that the "coup attempt" had been "nipped in the bud," after suggesting that the attackers were both Congolese and foreign, but without giving details.

Christian Malanga, who called himself a commander and often wore a military uniform, was well known in Congolese diaspora circles in the US for his anti-establishment speeches.

Malanga led the New Zaire movement and the United Congolese Party, and had declared his intention to run for president.

Born in 1983 in what was then the Republic of Zaire, Malanga grew up in the Ngaba commune of Kinshasa and lived in South Africa and Swaziland before settling in the United States.

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