A 21-year-old American man was reportedly on his first ever trip overseas when he got “mixed up” in a failed coup attempt in Congo before appearing in a video to beg for his life — with his fate still unknown.
Fifty people, including three Americans, were detained over a wild plot to overthrow the Congolese government — led by Christian Malanga, 41, who was shot dead in the failed uprising on Sunday.
The US citizens captured over their alleged involvement in the failed effort were identified as Tyler Thompson, 21, convicted marijuana trafficker Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun and Malanga’s son, Utah high school football player Marcel Malanga, 21
Thompson’s stepmother, Miranda Thompson, told ABC News her stepson traveled overseas for the first time last month to see the family of his close friend Marcel — who teammates said he had played high school football with in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan, Utah.
She added it was also the first time he had ever flown on his own.
It’s unclear what role, if any, Thompson had in the failed coup.
According to Thompson’s family, they thought he was on vacation in South Africa when the shocking incident unfolded.
Miranda claimed while in Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, Thompson informed them the vacation had been interrupted by a bout of malaria and that Malanga had offered to cover expenses to extend the trip and “make up for lost time”, ABC News reports.
She said she was not made aware of any plans for them to travel to Democratic Republic of Congo.
“We have no idea how he got mixed up in all of this. He was on vacation with his friend’s family, and the next thing we know is he’s been arrested in the DRC. We don’t know what led up to him being there or how he got there,” she told The Times of London.
“Everything we know about Marcel is that he was a kind and respectful kid, this is a complete 180 from everything we know about him.”
She said that when she later saw images of him being detained and beaten by Congolese soldiers, she experienced “complete and utter shock.”
“It doesn’t feel real,” she said.
“We are stunned and heartbroken by the videos we have seen from the coup attempt.
“We have no idea how he got wrapped up in this situation, which is completely out of character for him. We are certain he did not go to Africa with plans for political activism.”
Video footage of the arrests widely shared on social media shows Thompson with a terrified look on his bloodied face as he is surrounded by Congolese soldiers.
After Thompson appeared to beg for his life, he and Marcel were forced to stand up while soldiers tied their hands behind their backs.
The Congolese government has not confirmed whether Thompson is still alive or if he was killed, leaving his loved ones in anguish.
Christian Malanga, who had been exiled from Congo to the US, where he became a naturalized citizen, headed the United Congolese Party which describes itself as an “opposition political party-in-exile.”
Joined by armed men, Malanga appeared in a live-streamed video posted on Facebook the morning of the attack accusing President Felix Tshisekedi’s government of doing “many stupid things in this country,” according to Reuters.
Zalman-Polun was apparently connected to Marcel’s father through a gold mining company – suggesting that the uprising itself may have had ties to either or both industries.
A DRC government statement later commended the “prompt reaction” of the DRC’s security forces in foiling the attack.
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
