The family of Tyler Thompson, a 21-year-old American caught up in a failed coup attempt in Congo, has stated that their son was in Africa on vacation with family friends and had not previously engaged in political activism. Thompson was one of, at least, three Americans named by the Congolese army as being part of the failed effort to overthrow the government in Kinshasa under eccentric, self-exiled leader Christian Malanga.
Thompson’s stepmother, Miranda Thompson, expressed shock and heartbreak over the situation, stating that it was completely out of character for him. She emphasized that they have no idea how he got involved in the coup attempt. According to report, Thompson had played high school football with Marcel Malanga, the son of the alleged coup leader, in Utah. Marcel Malanga has invited several of his former teammates to the trip, but Tyler Thompson was the only one who accepted.
The U.S. State Department has discouraged it’s citizen from traveling to Congo due to violent crime and civil unrest. The U.S. Embassy in Congo is waiting for the Congolese government to provide evidence that the arrested individuals are Americans before providing consular services. The Congolese government has not given a date for when the suspects will appear in court.
