The 19 Congolese rebels were charged yesterday in a South Africa court in Pretoria. The group tried to offer the undercover officers mining rights in the Congo in exchange for the cache of weapons. According to an American Embassy spokesman, the suspected leader of the group is James Kazongo, a naturalized American citizen from the Congo.
Prosecutor Shaun Abrahams said the rebels had been under surveillance since September, based on a tip that this small wing of the rebel militia called the Union of Nationalists for Renewal (UNR) wanted to overthrow the DRC.
“To enable them to achieve this, they required large quantities of arms and ammunition and specialized military training,” Abrahams told the court. “They did not have access to finances but would pay with mining concessions in the DRC.”
He said they emailed a “wish list” to undercover officers, asking for satellite phones, cash, weapons and ammunition, including 5,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 1,000 grenades and a quantity of missiles. More details (http://bit.ly/150ARYC)
0 comments on “South Africa Foils Coup Plot Against Congo Government”