A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced 37 individuals, including citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Canada, to death for their involvement in a failed coup attempt against President Félix Tshisekedi.
Among those sentenced were three Americans, a British national, a Belgian, and a Canadian, all accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
The coup attempt, which took place in May, saw an attack on the presidential palace and the residence of Vital Kamerhe, an ally of President Tshisekedi.
Christian Malanga, a US citizen of Congolese origin and the alleged leader of the coup, was killed during the attack alongside five others. A total of 51 people were put on trial in the case, with the proceedings broadcast on national television and radio.
Marcel Malanga, Christian Malanga’s son and one of the Americans sentenced to death, testified in court that his father had coerced him into participating in the plot.
Another American, Tyler Thompson, also received the death penalty. Both men, who had known each other from playing football in Utah, were in their 20s. Thompson’s family had expressed shock and confusion about his involvement in the coup.
The third American sentenced, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, was reported to have business ties with Christian Malanga. Jean-Jacques Wondo, a Congolese-Belgian dual national and prominent researcher on regional politics, was also sentenced to death, though human rights groups questioned the strength of the evidence against him.
A British national, Youssouf Ezangi, was accused of recruiting others for the coup attempt, while the Canadian was reported to have Congolese heritage.
Out of the 51 people tried, 14 were acquitted after the court found no evidence linking them to the attack.
The convicted individuals now have five days to appeal their sentences. Although death sentences in DR Congo have not been enforced in the past two decades, a recent government policy has lifted the moratorium on capital punishment, raising concerns about the possible implementation of the sentences.
The failed coup, which began in the early hours of May 19, involved an attack on Kamerhe’s home followed by a strike on the presidential palace. Security forces responded swiftly, and the army later confirmed that they had thwarted the coup.
The plotters were linked to the New Zaire Movement, an organization associated with Malanga, a politician who had lived in exile.
President Tshisekedi, re-elected in 2023 in a controversial election, continues to face challenges in governing a country plagued by conflict, corruption, and poor governance, despite its vast natural resources.
Much of the violence in the country persists in the eastern regions, where efforts to establish peace have thus far been unsuccessful.
