Salt Lake City, Utah – A U.S. national, Tyler Thompson, was detained in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to authorities.
Thompson’s family expressed shock when they learned about his arrest in connection with the attack near the presidential palace in Kinshasa. Miranda Thompson, his stepmother, described her stepson as a happy young man with dreams of building and flipping houses.
Tyler, a 21-year-old who had never traveled alone before, traveled to South Africa last month with a close friend’s family. However, Miranda was taken aback when she saw images of her stepson being detained and beaten by Congolese soldiers, stating that it felt unreal.
During the coup attempt, Marcel Malanga’s father, Christian Malanga, was reportedly killed in a shootout with Congolese authorities. Tyler was mistakenly named as Taylor Thomson by a spokesperson for the DRC’s military, along with Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, another U.S. national.
Another American, Cole Patrick Ducey, living in Eswatini, was also wrongly accused of involvement in the coup attempt. Ducey denied any participation, and government officials confirmed his innocence.
Miranda revealed that Tyler had traveled with Marcel and Christian Malanga to Eswatini after visiting South Africa. She mentioned that Tyler’s family was unaware of any plans to travel to the DRC and found the events of May 19 completely unexpected.
Despite the turmoil, Miranda emphasized that Tyler was a great kid and expressed her family’s love and desire to have him back home. The Thompson family remains eager for Tyler’s safe return as they navigate the uncertainty surrounding his detention in the Congo.