(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    KINSHASA, June 11 (Xinhuanet) -- President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Joseph Kabila declared Friday on the state television that a dozen of coup-makers had been arrested by the security forces near the capital's airport, and the forces are searching for the ringleader.

    Wearing a military uniform, Kabila said in a recorded interview that "the institutions of the republic are in place. The president himself, he is in place."

    "The population must remain calm and vigilant and ready itself,why not, to resist because I won't allow anyone to try either to stage a coup d'etat or to derail the peace process," said Kabila. "The security forces, the army, are hunting for the major."

    It was the president's first address to the largest central African nation since the overnight coup, the leader of which, Major Eric Lenge of the presidential guard, was still on the run.

    Kabila came to power after his father, Laurent, was assassinated in January 2001 by a member of his presidential guard.

    Another insurgency last week in the eastern city of Bukavu, near the border with Rwanda, posed the biggest challenge yet to Kabila's transitional government as it tries to restore authority after five years of war in the central African republic.

    Army chief of staff Admiral Liwanga Mata-Nyamunyobo said in a statement read out on television, "A dozen of soldiers who took part in the overnight attempt to destabilize the transitional institutions have been arrested and will be shown to the public inthe next few hours."

    Earlier in the day, Lengue and his backers took control of the national radio and television offices, then the national electricity company, SNEL, before the attempted coup was thwarted,according to Information Minister Vital Kamerhe.

    An outbreak of gunshots were heard near the state house at around 6:00 a.m. (0500 GMT), but the cause and casualties remain unclear.

    Many villagers living in the suburb of Kinshasa chose to flee their hometown for fear of conflicts. Enditem