In brief
On April 9, 2025, three American men—Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun—who were involved in a failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo were repatriated to the United States. This follows a commutation of their death sentences to life imprisonment after a clemency grant from the Congolese government. The three were among 37 individuals sentenced last year following a violent incident near the presidential palace during a coup effort.
The repatriation was confirmed by both the Congolese presidency and the U.S. State Department. They were flown back to the U.S. after a meeting between American officials and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, who has been negotiating potential U.S. investment in Congo’s mineral wealth amid ongoing internal strife, particularly from the armed group M23. Both Malanga and Thompson, the son of the coup leader, claim they were not involved in the coup plan, while their involvement was alleged to be coerced during a visit to Malanga's father. The international implications of this situation continue to unfold against the backdrop of regional conflict and valuable mineral resources in Congo.Elian Peltier is The Times’ West Africa correspondent, based in Dakar, Senegal.
