Kinshasa: Three U.S. citizens previously sentenced to death for their roles in last year's failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have had their sentences reduced to life imprisonment, the Congolese presidency announced. The decision comes just ahead of a diplomatic visit by the new U.S. senior advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos.
The individuals, Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun, were among around 50 defendants—including citizens from the U.S., UK, Canada, Belgium, and Congo—who faced trial over the attempted overthrow of President Felix Tshisekedi’s government in May 2024.
A military court sentenced 37 people to death in September, including the three Americans, after finding them guilty of criminal conspiracy, terrorism, and other charges. They denied the accusations and appealed the ruling, but their appeal was unsuccessful. However, Congo’s justice ministry later proposed a pardon, which was subsequently approved by the presidency following a request from the public prosecutor.
Presidential spokesperson Tina Salama confirmed on national television that President Tshisekedi had signed the orders on Tuesday to commute their sentences. One of Malanga’s lawyers, Ckiness Ciamba, welcomed the decision, calling it "a first step that signals significant changes ahead."
The case drew international attention, particularly due to Marcel Malanga’s connection to Christian Malanga, a U.S.-based Congolese politician who led the coup attempt before being killed by security forces. Thompson, a former high school football teammate of Malanga in Utah, and Zalman-Polun, a business associate of Christian Malanga, were also implicated in the plot.
The announcement comes just before Boulos embarks on a diplomatic tour of Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda. The U.S. State Department stated that his visit aims to foster peace efforts in eastern Congo, where a Rwanda-backed insurgency persists, and to encourage American private sector investment in the region.
