Three Americans sentenced to life imprisonment for their involvement in a failed coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been repatriated to the United States to serve the remainder of their jail terms.
Initially handed death sentences by a military court, their punishments were commuted to life imprisonment last week.
U.S. Department of State spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, confirmed the development, saying, “The three were in our custody.”
According to the BBC, the trio, Marcel Malanga Malu, Tylor Thomson, and Zalman Polun Benjamin, departed Kinshasa on Tuesday. Congolese presidential spokesperson Tina Salama said their transfer followed “strict compliance with legal procedures.”
The DR Congo presidency stated that the repatriation was “part of a dynamic of strengthening judicial diplomacy and international cooperation in matters of justice and human rights” between both countries.
The Americans were among 37 people sentenced to death last September for their alleged roles in an attack on the presidential palace and the residence of an ally of President Félix Tshisekedi in May 2023. They were convicted of terrorism, criminal conspiracy, and other charges—all of which they denied.
The suspected ringleader, Christian Malanga, a U.S. citizen of Congolese descent and father of one of the repatriated men, was killed during the attempted coup, along with five others.
While the exact terms of the prisoner transfer agreement remain unclear, the U.S. State Department said the repatriation was facilitated in coordination with its embassy in Kinshasa. However, legal experts suggest that the convicts are unlikely to be released or have their sentences reduced.
“The United States condemned the armed attacks and supported the Congolese government’s efforts to hold perpetrators accountable,” Bruce stated, adding that Washington also sought “consistent, compassionate, humane treatment and a fair legal process.”
Meanwhile, other foreign nationals, including a Briton, Belgian, Canadian, and dual Congolese-Belgian citizen, remain in custody. One of them, Jean-Jacques Wondo, was transferred to Belgium earlier this year due to health concerns.
The repatriation comes amid growing U.S. interest in DR Congo’s mineral sector. Last week, a senior adviser to former President Donald Trump visited Kinshasa and confirmed ongoing talks involving multibillion-dollar investments. The country holds significant reserves of cobalt and coltan, essential for electronic devices and electric vehicle batteries—resources currently dominated by Chinese firms.
