Kinshasa, Congo — A military tribunal in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday issued death sentences to 37 individuals, including three U.S. citizens, for their roles in a failed coup attempt against the government. The court convicted the group on several serious charges ranging from terrorism to murder and criminal association, stemming from an incident in May that shook the nation’s capital.
Among the convicted are nationals from the U.K., Belgium, Canada, and several Congolese, alongside the three Americans. All defendants have the option to appeal the verdict. The trial, which commenced in June, ended with 14 of the accused being acquitted.
This judicial decision follows a turbulent period in Congo, which has seen a reinstatement of the death penalty earlier this year after more than two decades. This move by the government was part of broader efforts to address the ongoing challenges of violence and militancy within the country.
The coup was orchestrated by Christian Malanga, a marginal opposition leader who proclaimed himself the head of a government in exile. Malanga met a fatal end while resisting arrest shortly after he broadcasted an assault on the presidential palace and a close associate of President Felix Tshisekedi live on social media.
One of the Americans involved, 21-year-old Marcel Malanga, is the son of the coup leader. Marcel’s life took a drastic turn after he was implicated in the violence. His mother, Brittney Sawyer, claims her son was innocently caught in his father’s schemes. According to her, Marcel considered the trip as following his father, rather than engaging in any political or violent act.
The other two Americans, Tyler Thompson Jr. and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, also became entangled in the fatal events under different circumstances. Thompson, who hails from Utah, was reportedly on what he believed to be a vacation with Marcel to Africa. His family insists he had no inkling of Christian Malanga’s ulterior motives or any political agenda. Zalman-Polun, aged 36, had connections to Malanga through a business venture in a gold mining company established in Mozambique last year.
The company’s creation was documented by an official Mozambican government journal and explored in a report by the Africa Intelligence newsletter, suggesting a link between the mining operations and the political unrest.
The court proceedings, held in an open-air military court and broadcast live on television, starkly depicted the tension and gravity of the situation. The military prosecutor, Lt. Col. Innocent Radjabu, had advocated for the maximum sentence for all involved, highlighting the severity of the crimes, except for one defendant recommended for leniency due to psychological health issues.
As Congo faces ongoing internal security challenges, this trial is a stark reminder of the fragile political climate in the region. It also raises important questions about the involvement of foreign nationals in political unrest, signaling a complex interplay of international and local dynamics at play. As the convicted individuals prepare for their appeals, the international community watches closely, aware of the broader implications of the court’s decisions in maintaining stability and justice in Congo.