A British national has been detained following a botched coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in six fatalities.
The Briton is believed to have been the second-in-command in the coup, led by Congolese-American politician Christian Malanga. Footage from Kinshasa shows a man with a British accent being detained and telling officials, “No weapons.” It remains unclear if this individual is the Briton under arrest.
In the early hours of Sunday, a group of men armed with rifles and dressed in military attire attacked a government minister’s residence and then the presidential palace. The ensuing clashes left four attackers and two guards dead, with Congolese security forces quelling the militia after a three-hour standoff.
The captured footage also shows the same man being dragged barefoot in a t-shirt and trousers over a bridge, standing next to the coup leader’s son.
Malanga, 41, was among those killed after storming the palace with his 21-year-old son Marcel and American associate Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 36. Marcel, who spent his formative years in Utah, is now in custody.
DRC Army spokesperson Sylvain Ekenge reported that approximately 50 people, including three Americans and one Briton, have been arrested. The detainees, representing “several nationalities,” are currently being interrogated.
“An attempted coup d’état has been thwarted by our defence and security forces. Around 50 individuals, including three American citizens, are under arrest and being questioned by the Armed Forces’ specialized services,” said Ekenge. “We also have a naturalized British subject, the group’s second-in-command.”
Malanga, originally from Kinshasa, relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, with his family in 1998. He was known for his political extremism and had previously attempted a coup in 2017.
British Ambassador to the Congo, Alyson King, condemned the attack on social media, stating: “I strongly condemn the armed attacks perpetrated against Vital Kamerhe and the Palais de la Nation today in Kinshasa. My most sincere thoughts go out to the innocent victims and condolences to their families.”
