Three American citizens jailed in the Democratic Republic of Congo over a failed coup attempt have been transferred to US custody following high-level talks between the two countries on security and mining deals.
The Congolese presidency told Reuters the three men were handed over after their death sentences were commuted last week. They will now serve their time in the United States.
The deal was finalised during a visit to Kinshasa by Massad Boulos, senior Africa adviser to US President Donald Trump. Boulos held talks with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in the capital.
“This shows that the collaboration and cooperation between the two states is growing stronger and stronger,” said a spokesperson for Tshisekedi.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. The State Department said in an email that bringing Americans home was a top priority.
Failed coup
The three Americans – Marcel Malanga and his friend Tyler Thompson, both 21, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36 – were among 37 people sentenced to death by a military court in September.
The coup attempt took place in May last year and was led by Christian Malanga, a US-based Congolese opposition figure and the father of Marcel. He was killed by Congolese forces during the operation.
During the trial, Marcel Malanga said his father had threatened to kill him and Thompson if they disobeyed orders. His mother later wrote on Facebook that the family needed time and would not comment publicly.
DRC army says it foiled attempted coup involving US citizens
The plotters attacked the home of then economy minister Vital Kamerhe before moving on to a building housing the offices of Tshisekedi.
They flew flags of Zaire – the country’s former name under dictator Mobutu Sese Seko – and filmed themselves declaring an end to the current regime.
The Americans were initially sentenced to death along with others involved in the coup attempt. Their sentences were commuted to life in prison last week before they were repatriated.
The Congolese presidency said the handover was “part of a dynamic of strengthening judicial diplomacy and international cooperation in matters of justice and human rights” between Kinshasa and Washington.
Legal experts told Reuters the men are unlikely to have their sentences reduced further now they are back in US custody.
Talks on minerals, security
The handover comes as both countries explore closer cooperation. Congo has asked for more US support in its fight against armed groups in the east of the country, where violence has escalated since January.
Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have captured two major cities, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
Washington, meanwhile, is keen to expand its access to Congo’s mineral wealth, which includes cobalt, lithium and copper – all key components in mobile phones, electric vehicles and other tech products.
Much of Congo’s mining sector is controlled by Chinese firms. The US State Department has said it is open to exploring critical minerals partnerships after Congo pitched a potential “minerals-for-security” deal.
(with newswires)
