Three Americans sentenced to death after failed Congo coup suddenly returned to US under mysterious deal
Three Americans convicted of attempting a coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been repatriated to the United States under a mysterious agreement that has raised serious questions about the timing and motivations behind the deal.
Marcel Malanga Malu, Tyler Thompson, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun were among 37 people sentenced to death by a Congolese military court last September for their roles in a failed coup attempt. Their death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment just last week before they were swiftly transferred back to the United States.
The repatriation comes at a curious time - just as the United States and DR Congo are exploring a potentially massive deal to exploit the central African country's enormous mineral wealth. Last week, one of President Trump's senior advisers for Africa visited DR Congo and confirmed negotiations were underway regarding minerals that could involve "multibillion-dollar investments."
What makes this timing particularly suspicious is the nature of these resources. DR Congo possesses some of the world's largest deposits of cobalt and coltan - critical materials used in electronic equipment and electric vehicle batteries. These resources are currently largely extracted by Chinese mining companies, making this a potential geopolitical chess move in the ongoing resource competition between the US and China.
The three Americans were accused of participating in an attack on both the presidential palace and the home of an ally of President Félix Tshisekedi last May. The suspected leader of the plot, Christian Malanga (a US national of Congolese origin), was killed during the attack, along with five others. His son, Marcel Malanga Malu, is among those now returned to the US.
While the US Department of State has confirmed the Americans are "in our custody," details of the prisoner transfer agreement remain murky. Legal experts note it's unlikely the US will release them or shorten their sentences, but the extraordinary timing of their return has fueled speculation about a quid pro quo arrangement.
Adding another layer to this bizarre international incident, Joseph Szlavik-Soto, a lobbyist working for the Congolese government, told Reuters that Congo had agreed to pay for damage caused by protesters who attacked the US embassy and other missions earlier this year - potentially another component of whatever backroom deal was struck.
The fate of the other convicted plotters, including citizens of Britain, Belgium, and Canada, remains unclear. What is clear is that this strange tale of attempted coups, death sentences, and mineral wealth is far from over, as questions persist about what exactly transpired behind closed doors to facilitate this unusual prisoner transfer.
For now, the three Americans will reportedly serve their life sentences in US custody, though the specific arrangements for their incarceration have not been disclosed. As the mineral negotiations continue between the two countries, observers will be watching closely to see what other developments might emerge from this extraordinary international saga.
