Congo Commutes Death Sentences for 3 Americans

Congo Commutes Death Sentences for Three Americans Over Failed Coup Attempt

Kinshasa, April 2, 2025 — The Democratic Republic of Congo has commuted the death sentences of three American citizens to life imprisonment, ahead of an official visit by the United States’ newly appointed senior advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos.

The decision was announced Tuesday by presidential spokesperson Tina Salama, who confirmed on national television that President Felix Tshisekedi signed three separate decrees granting the commutations. The move follows recommendations from the justice ministry and a request for clemency by the public prosecutor.

The three Americans—Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun—were among approximately 50 individuals tried for their roles in a failed coup attempt in May 2024. The group included citizens from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, and Congo.

A military court in Kinshasa sentenced 37 people to death in September 2024. The trio of Americans was convicted of criminal conspiracy, terrorism, and other related charges. They denied all allegations and mounted an unsuccessful appeal.

One of Malanga’s attorneys, Ckiness Ciamba, welcomed the development, describing it as “a first step that promises major changes in the future.” However, relatives of Malanga and legal representatives for Zalman-Polun have not yet commented. Thompson’s parents declined to speak on the record.

Marcel Malanga is the son of Christian Malanga, a U.S.-based Congolese opposition figure who led the coup plot. On May 19, 2024, his armed faction briefly seized an office within the presidential compound in Kinshasa before being repelled by security forces, during which Christian Malanga was killed.

Thompson, a childhood friend of Marcel Malanga from Utah, and Zalman-Polun, a business associate of Christian Malanga, were linked to the group and detained alongside other alleged collaborators.

The timing of the commutations aligns with the upcoming regional diplomatic visit by Massad Boulos, who will travel to Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda starting April 3. The U.S. State Department stated that his mission is to bolster peace initiatives in eastern Congo—where conflict with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels continues—and to foster American private investment in the region.

Meanwhile, the Congolese government and M23 rebels are preparing for direct negotiations next week, signaling potential progress in one of Africa’s most volatile conflict zones.