Americans, Nigerians, South Africans Arrested in Congo

(Kinshasa, Congo) In the run up to the July 30 national elections, the Democratic Republic of Congo has arrested 32 foreigners, including 10 Nigerians, three Americans and 12 South Africans, in a suspected coup plot. No names have been disclosed.

From Reuters.co.uk:

"About 30 people claiming to work for a security company have been arrested. They say they were working for the company but our information suggests they had other intentions," government spokesman Henri Mova Sakanyi told Reuters.

"They wanted to destabilise the institutions of the country, that means a coup attempt."

Sakanyi said the group had been arrested a few days ago but did not give any details other than that they worked for security firm.

Apparently, the foreigners are considered mercenaries "as they have all come back from Iraq." It doesn't make sense to me, but authorities appear to believe that anyone coming from Iraq is a mercenary. As a consequence, Sakanyi said they would be tried in court.

From another source, ANDNetwork.com:

According to the South African diplomatic mission in the DRC, 19 of the 32 mercenary suspects arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo hold South African passports. Sixteen of the suspects work for the Omega Security Company, while three work for a mining company as interpreters.

There is a discrepancy in reporting of the number of South Africans which remains to be resolved. One report says 12, another says 19.

From WaPo:

The United Nations said it could not confirm Congo's allegations.

"We are not concerned about this, it appears to be a case of political manipulation by Congo's government," said Jean-Tobias Okala, U.N. spokesman in Kinshasa. "We have almost 18,000 troops here to achieve our goal of peaceful and transparent elections."

The upcoming elections are hoped to be the end of internal strife which has endured since 1998 and resulted in the deaths of four million people in a humanitarian crisis. Oddly, the tragedy in the Congo happened concurrent with the presence of UN peacekeepers. A prudent observer could logically conclude that the UN hasn't been very effective.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.