US ambassador to the Congo Democratic Republic, Lucy Tamyln said she had been shocked to learn that three Americans have been arrested for their alleged participation in a coup attempt Sunday in the DRC.
The DRC army said Sunday that it quashed an attempted coup to oust President Felix Tshisekedi in the capital Kinshasa involving Congolese and foreign fighters. Army spokesperson Brig Gen Sylavin Ekenge said that 50 suspects, including three Americans and a naturalised British citizen have been detained.
“Please be assured that we will cooperate with the DRC authorities to the fullest extent as they investigate these criminal acts and hold accountable any U.S. citizen involved in criminal acts,” Tamlyn tweeted.
Local media reports said the assailants were members of the New Zaire Movement linked to formerly exiled DR Congo politician Christian Malanga, who has acquired American citizenship.
Mr Malanga was shot dead at the presidential palace after he resisted arrest by security forces, Mr Ekenge said.
His son, Marcel Malanga, was among the three American nationals arrested over the alleged coup attempt.
President Tshisekedi was re-elected for a second term in disputed elections last year in December. He won about 78% of the vote.
Nearly 20 people were killed in election-related violence in the run-up to the vote.
DR Congo is a country with vast mineral wealth and a huge population, but despite this, life has not improved for most people, with conflict, corruption and poor governance persisting.
Much of the country’s natural resources lie in the east where violence still rages despite Mr Tshisekedi’s attempts to deal with the situation by imposing a state of siege, ceasefire deals and bringing in regional troops.
