3 Americans who have been sentenced to loss of life over a failed coup try within the Democratic Republic of Congo have been despatched again to the US on Tuesday, in line with a spokeswoman for the Congolese presidency.
The American males have been amongst 37 other people sentenced to death seven months in the past for taking part in a Would possibly 2024 assault on Congo’s executive that integrated a gunfight close to the presidential palace. Congo’s presidency stated remaining week that the 3 American citizens — Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson and Benjamin Zalman-Polun — have been granted particular person clemency and had their death sentences commuted to lifestyles imprisonment.
The Congolese presidency’s spokeswoman, Tina Salama, posted photographs of them boarding a aircraft on Tuesday. She stated that the aircraft used to be certain for the US, the place the 3 males would serve their sentences.
Tammy Bruce, a State Division spokeswoman, confirmed on Tuesday that the 3 males have been transferred, telling a information convention that “they’re in our custody.” However there used to be no remark from the Justice Division as of Wednesday about the place, how, or if the lads would serve their sentences in the US.
The repatriation of the 3 males got here days after an American delegation met with Congo’s president, Felix Tshisekedi, in his nation’s capital, Kinshasa.
Mr. Tshisekedi has presented the US a stake in his country’s vast mineral wealth as his executive battles an armed riot that has captured massive parts of territory in jap Congo.
Depleted Congolese forces have up to now been not able to mount an efficient counteroffensive in opposition to the armed crew, M23, which is sponsored by way of Rwanda.
Massad Boulos, President Trump’s senior adviser for Africa, stated remaining week right through his commute to Congo that the US and Congo would paintings on an settlement about minerals, with out providing additional main points.
Congo holds massive reserves of fabrics and minerals — together with cobalt, tin, tantalum and lithium — that the US has deemed critical for transitioning towards renewable power. In Congo, China dominates that sector.
Mr. Trump’s particular envoy for hostages, Adam Boehler, had related the struggle in jap Congo to the destiny of the 3 American males.
“The President of Congo is keeping 3 American citizens now,” Mr. Boehler wrote on X in February. “In all probability it will be higher if Rwanda received the battle?”
The Congolese government stated that they had foiled a coup try remaining Would possibly after a gunfight erupted close to the presidential palace and armed males in short occupied an workplace of the presidency. Safety forces killed the coup chief, Christian Malanga, a Congolese baby-kisser who ran a minor opposition birthday celebration and had streamed the assault reside.
Mr. Malanga’s American son, Marcel Malanga, has denied involvement in making plans the coup. He stated that he and Mr. Thompson, a highschool good friend, have been pressured to enroll in in whilst visiting his father. The 3rd American citizen, Mr. Zalman-Polun, used to be a industry affiliate of Christian Malanga’s.
