Nineteen South Africans have been arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) alongside three Americans and four Nigerians on allegations of ”destabilisation of government institutions”, the South African Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
The department said its diplomatic mission in the DRC has confirmed the arrest of the 19 South Africans by the country’s law-enforcement agencies on Friday May 19.
Sixteen of these South African passport holders are members of the Omega Security Company, which has contracts with the DRC’s National Transport Office for the training of security personnel in Matadi, Boma and Mouanda, the department said.
The other three South African passport holders work for a mining company, Mirabulis, as interpreters.
”According to information at the disposal of the South African diplomatic mission in the DRC, investigations are currently under way even though the authorities have indicated that the detainees are being on held on allegations of ‘destabilisation of government institutions’,” the department’s Ronnie Mamoepa said in a statement.
The South African diplomatic mission was granted permission for a consular visit to the detainees and will continue with efforts to provide full consular assistance while monitoring investigations.
The DRC security ministry told The Associated Press (AP) on Wednesday about 30 American, South African, Nigerian and other security guards are accused of plotting a coup just ahead of elections.
But a United Nations official cast doubt on the claim and said the UN is confident security will be maintained for the DRC’s long-delayed polls, now set for July 30.
The suspects are former soldiers who worked for a Congolese security agency, Interior Minister Theophile Mbemba told The AP. He said the men were arrested with military gear, but did not provide further details about the number or type of weapons.
They ”were working in Kinshasa as security guards but it is clear that they were military personnel with political plans,” Mbemba said. ”They were part of a coup attempt, and they will face justice in Congo.”
The UN said it could not confirm the claim. ”We are not concerned about this; it appears to be a case of political manipulation by Congo’s government,” said Jean-Tobias Okala, UN spokesperson in Kinshasa.
”We have almost 18 000 troops here to achieve our goal of peaceful and transparent elections,” he added.
The vast, mineral-rich Central African country the size of Western Europe is currently preparing for the first multiparty presidential elections in 40 years slated for July 30.
Thousands of UN peacekeepers — conducting the UN’s largest and most expensive mission in the world — are fanned out to help provide security ahead of the crucial polls, particularly in the volatile north-eastern and central regions.
The UN troops are expected to be boosted by a 1 500-strong European Union force ahead of the polls.