Death Sentences Overturned for Three Americans in DR Congo Coup Plot
Three Americans sentenced to death for their roles in a failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo last year have had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment, according to the presidency.
Three American citizens convicted for participating in a failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have had their death sentences reduced to life imprisonment. The decision, announced by presidential spokesperson Tina Salama on Tuesday, came after President Félix Tshisekedi granted them individual clemency.
The trio – Marcel Malanga Malu, Tylor Thomson, and Zalman Polun Benjamin – were among 37 people sentenced to death by a military court in September following a dramatic attack on the presidential palace and the residence of a key political figure on May 19, 2024.
The commutations come just ahead of a visit by Massad Boulos, the newly appointed U.S. senior advisor for Africa and father-in-law of Tiffany Trump, daughter of former President Donald Trump. Boulos is expected in Kinshasa on Thursday, with additional stops in Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda.
While the U.S. government has not officially designated the Americans as wrongfully detained, the State Department confirmed discussions with DR Congo regarding their cases. The three denied all charges, which included criminal conspiracy and terrorism.
The plot’s suspected leader, Christian Malanga—a U.S. citizen of Congolese descent—was killed during the attempted coup, along with five others. In total, 51 people stood trial in proceedings broadcast across national media. Fourteen were acquitted, while others, including citizens from the UK, Belgium, and Canada, remain sentenced. It’s unclear whether their penalties will also be reduced.
Though death sentences have historically not been carried out in DR Congo for nearly two decades, the government lifted its moratorium in March, citing a need to cleanse the army of "traitors." However, no executions have taken place since the change.
Jean-Jacques Wondo, a dual Congolese-Belgian national also sentenced to death, was transferred to Belgium in February due to health issues. Whether the Americans might be allowed to serve their sentences in the U.S. remains uncertain.
One of the lawyers for the Americans, Ckiness Ciamba, called the clemency "a first step that promises major changes in the future."
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