Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the most senior cabinet member of United States President Joe Biden, reached out to reassure President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following the thwarted coup attempt allegedly involving American citizens.
The individuals implicated in the incident include Christian Malanga, 41, who was a naturalized American citizen, his 21-year-old son Marcel, born in Utah, along with Marcel’s high school friend Tyler Thompson, also 21, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, from Maryland.
Malanga reportedly lost his life during the events, while the others were apprehended as they attempted to swim across the Congo River into Brazzaville, according to DRC authorities.
The DRC presidency released a statement indicating that during the conversation with Blinken, the United States pledged to cooperate with Congolese authorities regarding the involvement of alleged American citizens.
Blinken’s office confirmed the telephone conversation with President Tshisekedi and expressed condemnation for the attack on political leaders and institutions in Gombe.
Blinken expressed US backing for the government’s inquiry into the assault.
The United States emphasizes that its ties with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are robust, with Washington’s foreign policy aimed at aiding the country’s development into a stable and democratic nation.
This includes fostering peace with neighboring countries, enhancing state authority throughout its territory, and addressing the basic needs of its citizens.
An attempted coup involving American citizens is particularly unwelcome given the US’s pivotal role in infrastructure development in the DRC, notably the reconstruction of the Lobito Corridor.
This corridor extends into Zambia and Angola, providing a crucial route for transporting resources to the West via the Atlantic Ocean.
Among the significant exports from the DRC to the US are minerals such as copper, niobium, tantalum, vanadium, and zirconium ores.
Furthermore, the US is actively involved in facilitating a collaborative project between the DRC and Zambia for lithium battery production.
Over the past decade, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has allocated over R110 billion to initiatives in the DRC.
