The Republican Guard and police in the DRC blocked a road during an attempted coup in Gombe, Kinshasa on May 19, 2024.
American citizens were part of the unsuccessful coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo that resulted in at least three deaths, a military representative told CNN.
The failed coup was aimed at the residence of politician Vital Kamerhe and the presidential palace, led by opposition leader Christian Malanga, who was killed in a gunfight between the rebels and the presidential guards, according to General Sylvain Ekenge.
Ekenge mentioned that Malanga was a US citizen, though the State Department later stated they had no information on him. Three other Americans – Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, Patrick Ducey, and Taylor Thomson – were implicated in the plot.
Patrick Ducey and Taylor Thomson were identified as the same person with two different names, which raised suspicions amongst authorities.
The US State Department acknowledged that two more individuals, believed to be Americans, were in custody. However, privacy laws prevented confirmation of whether the US had requested consular access for them.
Videos circulated on social media showed a man with injuries being confronted by Congolese military personnel.
US ambassador Lucy Tamlyn expressed shock over the coup incident and pledged cooperation with Congolese authorities to investigate and bring to justice any American citizen involved in criminal activities.
It remains unknown whether President Felix Tshisekedi was present at the palace during the attack, as he had just secured reelection.
This was not Malanga’s first coup attempt, as he had previously tried in 2017 without success, according to General Ekenge.
The 41-year-old Malanga, who had lived in exile in the US, led the United Congolese Party, an opposition group-in-exile.
A government statement praised the swift response of the security forces that thwarted the coup, but two police officers at Kamerhe’s residence were killed.
The DRC, one of the world’s poorest nations despite its abundant resources, is plagued by armed groups vying for power and control over its wealth.
Sub-Saharan Africa has been beset by coups, including the recent attempt in Gabon, the DRC’s neighbor, last August.
The African Union denounced the coup attempt in the DRC and applauded the country’s security forces for handling the situation effectively.
