African Union 'strongly condemns' Democratic Republic of Congo coup bid

NAIROBI: The head of the African Union Commission said he was following events in the Democratic Republic of Congo with "great concern" and "strongly condemns" an attempted coup there.

The DR Congo military said on Sunday it had foiled a coup bid near the offices of President Felix Tshisekedi in the capital Kinshasa involving "foreigners and Congolese".

Shots were heard near the Palais de la Nation that houses the president's offices at the time of the coup attempt in the early hours of Sunday, according to a number of sources.

AU Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat "strongly condemns this attempted coup d'etat and welcomes the control of the situation announced by the country's defence and security forces", the AU said in a statement issued late Sunday.

"He is delighted that all the leaders of republican institutions are safe and sound," the statement said.

"He takes this opportunity to condemn any use of force to change the constitutional order in any African state whatsoever."