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".

Shots were also heard near to the Palais de la Nation at the time of the coup attempt, according to a number of sources.

Ekenge did not give any more details on the coup attempt. AFP also contacted official sources but has so far received no reply.

-'Shocked by the events'-

"I am shocked by the events this morning and very worried by the reports of American citizens allegedly involved," Lucy Tamlyn, US ambassador to the DRC posted on X.

"Rest assured that we are cooperating with authorities in DRC to the fullest extent possible, as they investigate these criminal acts and hold accountable any American citizen involved in the criminal acts."

During the day certain streets near to the Palais de la Nation remained closed to traffic, but the situation appeared calm, AFP journalists reported.

Reports began to circulate on social media in the early morning of an attack on Kamerhe's home by armed men, some of whom then went to the Palais de la Nation.

There was "an armed attack" this morning at the residence of the economy minister, Japan's ambassador to Kinshasa Hidetoshi 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, urging nationals to avoid the area

- Zaire flags -

Videos on social media showed men in fatigues at the Palais de la Nation, brandishing flags of Zaire, the name of of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) under the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko who was overthrown in 1997.

AFP was unable to verify the videos.

Several heavily armed military vehicles drove from the Palais de la Nation towards a large intersection, also in Gombe, AFP witnessed.

Construction blocks obstructed the road leading to the Palais de la Nation, while soldiers on foot blocked access to Boulevard Thsatshi, near to Tshisekedi's offices.

Tshisekedi was re-elected at the end of December when he received more than 70 percent of votes in the first round of voting.

But he is yet to form a government some five months after the elections.

Kamerhe was named on April 23 as a candidate for president of the National Assembly, the DRC's main legislative body.