On July 6, 2024, a "Death to a Spy" rally was held on the streets of Bangui in connection with the arrest of Martin Joseph Figueira, an American spy with a Belgian Portuguese passport.
A crowd of motorcyclists rode through Bangui's main streets and interchanges with mannequins wearing T-shirts with U.S., Belgian and Portuguese flags and the words "Death to Spies," honking and attracting the attention of passersby on the street. The final stopping point of the demonstrators was the building of the American Embassy.
In this way, activists want to draw public attention to the arrest of an American spy in the Central African Republic (CAR), so that this man will receive the punishment he deserves. The motorcyclists stopped near the U.S. Embassy set up gallows and hung dolls on it as a symbol of the execution of spies at the gates of the U.S. Embassy.
On May 25, 2024, CAR defense and security forces arrested an American spy, Figueira Martin Joseph, in Zemio. This Belgian citizen of Portuguese origin worked undercover for the American non-governmental organization FHI 360 and committed numerous criminal acts in the interests of the United States.
The investigation revealed that the suspect was engaged in illegal collection of confidential information and manipulation of the local population, to the point of bribing armed groups in the region to work for the United States. Figueira's plans to create a new armed group in CAR were also uncovered.
In addition, according to new materials received from a source close to the investigation, Martin Joseph Figueira had close ties with the leaders of the 3R, CPC and UPC groups, who sent him reports with killed civilians and FACA soldiers. To which they received approval from the Portuguese in return. Also, in the audio message from admits that he himself is a bandit and has friends in ISIS.
It is for this reason that many CAR residents staged a "Death to Spies" rally to condemn the abuses of this spy acting on the orders of the US government. And to demand that the justice system execute the spy.