In a dramatic turn of events, a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has handed down death sentences to thirty-seven individuals, including three Americans, a British national, a Belgian, and a Canadian, in connection with a failed coup attempt against President Félix Tshisekedi.
The attempt to overthrow the government occurred in May, when the assailants launched attacks on the presidential palace and the residence of a key ally of President Tshisekedi.
An American of Congolese descent and alleged leader of the coup, Christian Malanga, was killed during the assault. Alongside him, five others died in the confrontation.
The trial, which was extensively covered by national TV and radio, saw a total of 51 people tried, with 14 acquitted of all charges.
Among the Americans sentenced to death were Marcel Malanga, Christian’s son, and Tyler Thompson, a childhood friend from Utah.
Marcel testified in court that his father had coerced him into participating in the plot under threat of death.
Tyler Thompson, in his early 20s, had also been involved in the scheme. His stepmother, Miranda Thompson, expressed the family’s bewilderment at his involvement, stating, “We were in complete shock as to what was happening, and the unknown. Everything we were learning was what we were getting off Google.”
The third American, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, had business dealings with Christian Malanga, further complicating the case.
The court also sentenced Jean-Jacques Wondo, a dual Congolese and Belgian citizen, to death.
Human Rights Watch had previously noted his prominence as a regional politics and security researcher, casting doubt on the strength of the evidence linking him to the coup attempt.
The British national, Youssouf Ezangi, was found to have played a role in recruiting others for the plot. The Canadian national, whose specific details were less clear, was also of Congolese descent.
Following the coup attempt, which began in Kinshasa in the early hours of May 19, armed men attacked the home of parliamentary speaker Vital Kamerhe before moving on to the presidential residence.
Witnesses reported that about 20 attackers in military uniforms engaged in a gunfight with security forces. The military later confirmed that the attempted coup had been thwarted.
The New Zaire Movement, linked to Malanga, was reportedly behind the assault.
An army spokesperson, Brigadier General Sylavin Ekenge, stated that Malanga was killed after he resisted arrest.
President Tshisekedi, who was re-elected in December’s disputed elections with approximately 78% of the vote, faces the challenge of governing a country plagued by conflict, corruption, and poor governance despite its vast mineral wealth.
In response to ongoing violence, particularly in the mineral-rich eastern regions, Tshisekedi has attempted to address the crisis with state of siege measures, ceasefire agreements, and international support.
The death penalty, which has not been executed in DR Congo for nearly two decades, was reinstated in March to address perceived threats within the army. Despite this, no executions have occurred since the moratorium was lifted.
The convicted individuals have five days to appeal their sentences.
