The coup bid took place in the early hours of the morning outside the residence of economy minister Vital Kamerhe, in the Gombe area in the north of the capital, near to the Palais de la Nation which houses the offices of the president.

"An attempted coup d'etat has been stopped by the defence and security forces," said General Sylvain Ekenge in a message broadcast on national television.

He added that the "foreigners and Congolese ... including their leader" would "all no longer cause any harm".

Ekenge did not give any more details on the coup attempt.

The situation was calm later in the morning in Kinshasa, AFP journalists reported.

There was "an armed attack" this morning at the residence of the economy minister, Japan's ambassador to Kinshasa Kidetoshi Ogawa wrote on X.

Kamerhe "was not harmed... (but) two policemen and an assailant were killed according to sources," he added.

France's ambassador reported automatic weapons fire in the quarter, asking its nationals to avoid the area.