SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) — The circle of relatives of an American stuck up in a failed coup strive in Congo mentioned their son was once in Africa on holiday with circle of relatives buddies and had now not in the past engaged in political activism, in line with a observation supplied to The Related Press. Tyler Thompson was once one in all no less than 3 American citizens who had been named through the Congolese military as being a part of a failed effort to overthrow the federal government in Kinshasa within the early hours Sunday beneath eccentric, self-exiled chief Christian Malanga. The 2 different American citizens allegedly concerned had been a convicted marijuana trafficker, Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, and Malanga’s Utah-born son, Marcel, 21, who was once arrested through Congolese forces. “We’re shocked and heartbroken through the movies we have now noticed from the coup strive,” Thompson’s stepmother, Miranda Thompson, mentioned in an immediate message at the social media platform X. “We don’t have any concept how he were given wrapped up on this state of affairs, which is totally out of personality for him. We’re positive he didn’t move to Africa with plans for political activism.”
Malanga, the alleged chief, was once shot lifeless after resisting arrest, the Congolese military mentioned. In all, six folks had been killed within the assault at the presidential palace and any other at the place of abode of an in depth best friend of President Felix Tshisekedi.
Thompson had performed highschool soccer with Marcel Malanga within the Salt Lake Town suburb of West Jordan and was once the one former teammate to just accept his invitation to trip to Congo, in line with a number of different gamers who informed the AP that they had been invited.
Marcel Malanga had pitched the shuttle to lots of his highschool buddies within the months main as much as the foiled coup strive. Some mentioned he had invited them on a circle of relatives holiday, whilst others, together with former soccer teammate Jaden Lalor, mentioned he had pitched it as a carrier shuttle to construct wells. Teammates recounted Marcel Malanga’s expanding desperation as pal after pal declined.
“He did name me to invite if I sought after to visit Africa for holiday, in addition to a couple of of my different buddies, however he didn’t be offering to take greater than a unmarried one in all us at a time,” mentioned Luke Barbee, any other former teammate who lived with Marcel Malanga final yr. “He handiest requested such a lot of folks as a result of he saved getting denied till Tyler mentioned sure to the shuttle.”Barbee was once stunned to be told of his buddies’ involvement within the assault and mentioned it gave the impression out of personality for each younger males.Marcel Malanga had a strained courting along with his father, Lalor mentioned, including that he will have been simply stressed or manipulated into following his father’s plans.“Marcel is an excellent respectful child, tough across the edges, however now not sufficient to move and homicide folks,” Lalor mentioned. “I do know they needed to were brainwashed or compelled to try this as a result of Tyler had by no means been one for war. He’s one of the laid again or relax youngsters you might meet.”Thompson’s stepmother mentioned he was once now not politically engaged and was once merely excited to look the sector along with his pal. “He is a superb child, a troublesome employee and a deferential younger guy,” she mentioned. “We’re so misplaced as to how he ended up on this mess.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the assault in a choice with Tshisekedi on Wednesday and introduced lend a hand from the U.S. with the investigation, in line with a abstract of the decision.The U.S. Embassy in Congo mentioned Thursday that it was once nonetheless looking ahead to the Congolese govt to supply proof that the arrested people had been American citizens ahead of it would supply consular products and services to them. The Congolese govt has now not given a date for when the suspects will seem in court docket.___Donati reported from Dakar, Senegal.
