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Congo Reduces Death Sentences for Three Americans Convicted in Failed Coup

President Felix Tshisekedi commuted the sentences to life imprisonment as Congo seeks U.S. cooperation on security and investment in its mineral-rich regions.

Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, left, Marcel Malanga and Tyler Thompson, all American citizens, attend court in Kinshasa in September 2024, on charges of taking part in a coup attempt in May that year.
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Overview

  • The three Americans—Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson Jr., and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun—were sentenced to death in September 2024 for their roles in a failed May 2024 coup attempt.
  • Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi announced the commutation of their sentences to life imprisonment on April 2, 2025, through a presidential order.
  • The clemency decision coincides with Congo's efforts to negotiate a minerals-for-security partnership with the United States to address ongoing conflict in Eastern Congo.
  • The failed coup, led by opposition figure Christian Malanga, targeted the presidential palace in Kinshasa and resulted in six deaths, including Malanga’s own.
  • U.S. officials, including Senior Adviser Massad Boulos, are scheduled to visit Congo starting April 3, 2025, to advance peace efforts and promote American investment in the region.