The three individuals, initially sentenced to death, had their sentences commuted to life in prison before being sent back to the US. They were involved in a plot against President Félix Tshisekedi's government that included attacks on the presidential palace.
Three Americans Return Home After DR Congo Coup Convictions
Three Americans Return Home After DR Congo Coup Convictions
Three Americans convicted in a failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo last year have been repatriated to the US to complete their sentences.
The three Americans convicted for their role in a failed coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last year have been transferred back to the United States to serve the rest of their sentences. This repatriation follows a commutation of their death sentences to life in prison. According to US Department of State spokesperson Tammy Bruce, the trio—identified as Marcel Malanga Malu, Tylor Thomson, and Zalman Polun Benjamin—are now "in our custody."
The transfer aligns with ongoing discussions between the US and DRC aimed at capitalizing on the country’s vast mineral resources. Last week, a senior adviser from the Trump administration confirmed that negotiations over a potential minerals deal, worth multibillion dollars, were underway. DRC is rich in coltan and cobalt, essential metals for electronic devices and electric vehicle batteries, and most of this extraction is currently conducted by Chinese firms.
Congolese presidential spokesperson Tina Salama announced that the Americans left the DRC on Tuesday in accordance with legal protocols. She remarked that this transfer signifies growing judicial diplomacy and transparency in matters of justice and human rights between the two nations. The three men were among 37 individuals sentenced to death last September by military courts.
Other condemned individuals, including a British, Belgian, and Canadian national, are also awaiting potential commutation of their sentences. The group was accused of orchestrating assaults on the presidential palace and an ally’s residence in May 2022. The supposed leader of the coup plot, Christian Malanga, a US national of Congolese origin, was killed during the attacks, along with five others.
It remains unclear how the prisoner transfer agreement was structured, but the US State Department confirmed awareness of it, noting that the repatriation was facilitated in collaboration with the US embassy in Kinshasa. Legal experts, however, caution against the likelihood of earlier releases or sentence reductions for these convicts. The State Department also reiterated its condemnation of the violent attacks and stressed the importance of fair legal proceedings, advocating for consistent treatment for the convicts.
In an unexpected turn, Joseph Szlavik-Soto, a lobbyist for the Congolese government, revealed that DRC has consented to compensate for damages from protests that targeted US embassies earlier this year. However, US officials have not yet provided comments on this aspect of the agreement.
The transfer aligns with ongoing discussions between the US and DRC aimed at capitalizing on the country’s vast mineral resources. Last week, a senior adviser from the Trump administration confirmed that negotiations over a potential minerals deal, worth multibillion dollars, were underway. DRC is rich in coltan and cobalt, essential metals for electronic devices and electric vehicle batteries, and most of this extraction is currently conducted by Chinese firms.
Congolese presidential spokesperson Tina Salama announced that the Americans left the DRC on Tuesday in accordance with legal protocols. She remarked that this transfer signifies growing judicial diplomacy and transparency in matters of justice and human rights between the two nations. The three men were among 37 individuals sentenced to death last September by military courts.
Other condemned individuals, including a British, Belgian, and Canadian national, are also awaiting potential commutation of their sentences. The group was accused of orchestrating assaults on the presidential palace and an ally’s residence in May 2022. The supposed leader of the coup plot, Christian Malanga, a US national of Congolese origin, was killed during the attacks, along with five others.
It remains unclear how the prisoner transfer agreement was structured, but the US State Department confirmed awareness of it, noting that the repatriation was facilitated in collaboration with the US embassy in Kinshasa. Legal experts, however, caution against the likelihood of earlier releases or sentence reductions for these convicts. The State Department also reiterated its condemnation of the violent attacks and stressed the importance of fair legal proceedings, advocating for consistent treatment for the convicts.
In an unexpected turn, Joseph Szlavik-Soto, a lobbyist for the Congolese government, revealed that DRC has consented to compensate for damages from protests that targeted US embassies earlier this year. However, US officials have not yet provided comments on this aspect of the agreement.
