United States citizens allegedly among a foiled coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo

In a significant development, U.S. citizens were found to be involved in a failed coup attempt in Congo. The local authorities have detained the suspects and commenced investigatory procedures to uncover the underlying evidence and conspiracy behind the coup.

According to Aljazeera, at around 4am local time on Sunday May, 19, dozens of men wearing military fatigues and armed with submachine guns and rifles attacked the residence of Vital Kamerhe, a federal legislator who is an ally of Tshisekedi and is a favourite to become the speaker of the National Assembly.

The attackers also breached the Palais de la Nation, the president’s official residence and offices – although Tshisekedi rarely uses the premises and was not present at the time. Both locations are about 2km (1.2 miles) apart in the Gombe area of ​​the city, which is also home to several other government offices and embassies.

At least three people were killed in the shootouts that ensued, including two Congolese security officials, and the leader of the attackers — Christian Malanga. Some 50 people have been arrested, the Congolese military said, including three American citizens.

According to the Daily Mail, one of the three Americans involved in the attempted Congo coup is a married father-of-three from Washington DC with a drug trafficking conviction.

Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 36, was one of three American citizens seen in the west African nation on Sunday before the coup’s apparent leader Christian Malanga was shot dead. In 2014, the DC native pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 kilos or less of marijuana in DC between October 2011 and April 2012, per legal documents seen by DailyMail.com.

Malanga’s American son Marcel and another unidentified American man were captured and paraded around after the failed coup.  Zalman-Polun’s passport was gleefully displayed by the victorious troops.

Christian Malanga, 41, who was shot dead during with coup attempt traveled to the central African country from their home in Utah to lead the coup with his son Marcel Malanga, 21. Marcel has since been taken by the Democratic Republic of Congo forces.

Marcel’s social media is filled with Christian philosophy, diamonds for sale, assault rifles and a foreshadowing of a war to come. A video posted by Marcel in 2016 shows him as a child practicing at a shooting range as his father instructs him. Marcel, who often referred to himself as ‘WARCEL,’ captioned it: ‘Check Out My Father and I Shooting.’ 

In other images he shared of himself as a child, he wrote ‘WARBABY’ and ‘Train2k!ll.’

Marcel’s mother, American Britney Sawyer, weighed in on social media, explaining how the boy found himself in Congo.

‘All the hate in the world! It’s so sick,’ Sawyer wrote on Facebook.

‘This was an innocent boy following his father. I’m so tired of all the videos being post all over and being sent to me. God will take care of you people! Karmas a b****!’

Christian Malanga,the man who led failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been identified as a US citizen living in Salt Lake City who first came to the US in 1998 as a refugee. He settled in Utah, where he raised a family managing various businesses. Malanga, 41, was “neutralised” by the security forces during the violent riot which involved a commando of over 20 men, including his son Marcel, who was arrested. 

In a live on his Facebook page, Christian Malanga (member of the Congolese diaspora residing in the United States), who has always advocated the return to Zaire, is accompanied by his son and a few people carrying weapons interior of the Palais de la Nation. He declared that from today, the DRC no longer exists, it is Zaire.

Malanga moved to Utah with his parents and five siblings in 1998, gaining refugee status. Eight years later, in 2006, Malanga returned to his homeland to perform his military service, reaching the rank of captain the following year. After failed attempts to enter politics in the DRC, Malanga returned to the United States in 2012, the year in which he founded the United Congolese Party (UCP), a formation that over time ended up gaining popularity among native Congolese abroad. In 2017, Malanga created a government-in-exile in Brussels, creating “New Zaire”. On his website, Malanga argued that it was his time in the Congolese army that turned him against the Kinshasa government, denouncing its corruption and lack of concern for the interests of its citizens~Nova News

Officials said Malanga first attempted and aborted a coup in 2017 but did not give further details. In a livestream posted on Facebook during Sunday’s attack, Malanga threatened the president and chanted “New Zaire!” The DRC was formerly called Zaire.

“We, the militants, are tired,” Malanga said to the camera, speaking in Lingala as his army occupied the president’s offices. “We cannot drag on with Tshisekedi and Kamerhe, they have done too many stupid things in this country.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) armed forces repelled an attempted coup d’etat involving Congolese and foreign fighters on Sunday morning, a DRC army spokesperson said in a televised address..The army announces the arrest of American mercenaries.