Three Americans were involved in a failed coup attempt at Congo’s presidential palace under the leadership of eccentric opposition figure Christian Malanga. Malanga, along with six others, were killed, and dozens were arrested following the attack, according to Congolese army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Sylvain Ekenge. Malanga’s 21-year-old son, Marcel, was one of the Americans involved in the attempted coup. Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, claimed her son was innocent and criticized those who followed her son’s actions.
Christian Malanga, who had described himself as a refugee who thrived in the U.S. after settling there in the 1990s, had a criminal past in Utah. He had been convicted of offenses including assault and domestic violence throughout the early 2000s. Despite his troubled past, Malanga portrayed himself as a leader of a Congolese opposition political party and was dedicated to his family. His son, Marcel, had a seemingly normal life before being involved in the coup, as shown in family photos shared by his mother on social media.
The Malanga family gathered to mourn Christian’s death at their home in West Jordan, Utah, feeling heartbroken and raw. Christian was the organizer of the United Congolese Party and the self-proclaimed president of the “New Zaire” government in exile. He was known to have met with prominent U.S. political figures, such as former Utah Rep. Rob Bishop and New York Rep. Peter King. Some speculated that Malanga may have been set up or betrayed in the coup attempt due to the implausible nature of the attack.
The coup attempt began at the residence of Vital Kamerhe, a federal legislator and candidate for speaker of the National Assembly of Congo. Malanga and his accomplices tried to storm the presidential palace, but were met with resistance from guards. Malanga was live-streaming from the palace during the attack and was killed while resisting arrest. Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, another American allegedly involved, was identified through his U.S. passport. Zalman-Polun had a criminal history involving drug trafficking in the U.S. and had connections to Malanga through a gold mining company set up in Mozambique in 2022.
The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa acknowledged that U.S. citizens might have been involved in the events and pledged to cooperate with authorities in their investigation. The circumstances of how the attackers were able to breach the presidential palace remain unclear. Dino Mahtani, a researcher into African issues, speculated that Malanga may have been manipulated in the coup attempt and might have had internal involvement. Authorities have not released any information on the third American involved in the failed coup. The incident has shed light on the involvement of foreign actors in Congolese political affairs and raised questions about the security of the country’s leadership.
