The three Americans convicted of participating in a botched coup attempt in Congo last year have been repatriated to the United States, days after their death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment, Congo’s presidency said on Tuesday.
The three will serve out their sentences in the U.S. following the repatriation done in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy, Congolese presidential spokesperson Tina Salama said. The presidency said the Americans left Congo on Tuesday morning.
The State Department said it was aware of their transfer into U.S. custody and referred questions to the Department of Justice. A DOJ spokesperson said they did not immediately have information to share.
The conditions of the prisoner transfer agreement were not immediately clear. But international law experts said it’s unlikely the U.S. will shorten their sentences.
Live-streamed coup attempt
Among the three Americans was 21-year-old Marcel Malanga, son of opposition figure Christian Malanga, who led the foiled coup attempt that targeted the presidential palace in Kinshasa.
The elder Malanga, who live-streamed from the palace during the attempt, was later killed while resisting arrest, Congolese authorities said. Marcel Malanga has said his father forced him to take part.
Also repatriated were Tyler Thompson Jr, 21, a friend of the younger Malanga who flew to Africa from Utah for what his family believed was a free vacation, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36, who is reported to have known Christian Malanga through a gold mining company.
The repatriation came amid efforts by Congolese authorities to sign a minerals deal with the U.S. in exchange for security support that will help the capital city of Kinshasa fight rebels in the country’s conflict-hit east.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Africa last week confirmed the countries were in talks on the issue and said it could involve “multibillion-dollar investments.” The U.S. has estimated Congo has trillions of dollars in mineral wealth, much of it untapped.
