DR Congo president commutes 3 Americans' death sentences for their roles in last year's failed coup

KIGALI, Rwanda

The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo commuted three Americans' death sentences to life in prison for their roles in the country's failed coup last year, an official announced on Wednesday.

A presidential order "commuted death sentences to life imprisonment for Marcel Malanga Malu, Taylor Christa Thomson and Zalman Polun Benjamin, all American citizens," Congolese Presidential spokesperson Tina Salama said on X.

They are among 37 coup plotters convicted and sentenced to death in Sept. 2024 by a military court in Kinshasa for their involvement in a failed coup in Congo.

They were convicted on charges of criminal association and terrorism.

Their trial followed the failed coup attempt by opposition figure Christian Malanga in May 2024, when he attacked the presidential palace as well as the residence of Vital Kamerhe, former president of the National Assembly.

Malanga, however, was fatally shot while resisting arrest soon after live-streaming the attack on his social media, the Congolese military said.

His son Marcel Malanga, a US citizen, was among the Americans convicted for participating in the botched coup.

The presidential order came as Massad Boulos, the US senior advisor for Africa, and Corina Sanders, deputy assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, are scheduled to visit Congo, with stops in Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda beginning Thursday.

During their trip, Boulos and his team will meet with heads of state and business leaders to advance efforts for lasting peace in the eastern Congo.