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President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo has restructured the penalties of three American citizens convicted for their roles in a failed coup attempt in Kinshasa last year. According to Congolese presidential spokesperson Tina Salama, a new presidential decree has converted their death sentences to life imprisonment, following a military court’s verdict that saw these individuals and over 30 others sentenced to death.
This decision comes at a time when Congolese authorities are looking to finalize a deal with the United States concerning minerals, which would include U.S. support aimed at bolstering Kinshasa’s efforts against the M23 rebels, a group reportedly backed by Rwanda, that is active in the troubled eastern part of the country.
During the attempted coup, which saw its orchestrator, Christian Malanga, lead an attack on the presidential palace and threaten a close associate of Tshisekedi, six fatalities were recorded. Malanga was ultimately killed by security forces while trying to evade capture shortly after broadcasting the assault via social media.
Malanga, who declared himself the “President of New Zaire,” had a background as a businessman and a former captain in the Congolese army. In 2011, he made an attempt to enter electoral politics but was subsequently arrested and detained for several weeks.
The three Americans convicted include Marcel Malanga, Malanga’s 21-year-old son and a U.S. citizen, alongside Tyler Thompson Jr., a high school friend who reportedly traveled to Africa under the impression he would be on holiday. The third individual, 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, had connections to Christian Malanga through a gold mining venture.
During court proceedings, Marcel Malanga claimed that his father coerced him and Thompson into participating in the coup attempt, stating, “Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders.” Most of the defendants were Congolese, but the group also included a British, a Belgian, and a Canadian. Charges against the defendants encompassed attempted coup, terrorism, and criminal conspiracy, with 14 individuals being acquitted in the trial.
In parallel developments, the U.S. Department of State reported that Massad Boulos, the new senior advisor for Africa under President Trump, will be embarking on a trip to Congo and three additional African nations—Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda—beginning April 3. His mission is to foster sustainable peace in eastern Congo and to promote investment from the U.S. private sector in the region.
Recent statements from the United Nations echoed a deep concern regarding escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The M23 armed group has intensified its activities, leading to warnings about extrajudicial killings and widespread sexual violence. A landmark meeting is set for April 9, marking the first direct negotiations between the Congolese government and the rebel group.
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