A coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in the death sentencing of 37 individuals including a Briton, three US citizens, a Belgian, a Canadian, and various Congolese nationals. The coup attempt, which was orchestrated by opposition figure Christian Malanga and took place on May 19, resulted in six casualties.
During the ill-fated coup, armed men attacked the home of the parliamentary speaker, Vital Kamerhe, in Kinshasa, and temporarily took control of a presidential office. Malanga, a Congo-born politician residing in the US, was killed by security officers. According to the Congolese army, Malanga was shot while he was broadcasting the attack via social media and trying to evade arrest.
The charges of the convicted individuals included terrorism, murder, and criminal association, all of which can be appealed. The trial, which commenced in July, saw 14 people being acquitted.
The US citizens that were convicted included Marcel Malanga, Christian Malanga’s son. Marcel testified in court that his father, with whom he had a strained relationship, coerced him into participating in the coup threatening to kill him. Other convicted US citizens include Tyler Thompson Jr and Benjamin Zalman-Polun. Thomspon, along with Marcel, flew to Africa from Utah believing it was an all-expenses-paid holiday organised by the elder Malanga.
Zalman-Polun, a business associate of Christian Malanga, was also convicted. There has been no official information disclosed regarding the British national who was also convicted; however, reports indicate that he may have dual citizenship – British and Congolese.
A representative from the United Kingdom’s foreign, commonwealth and development office stated, “A British male, currently incarcerated in the DRC, is receiving our consular aid and we are maintaining communication with the local officials. We have expressed our concerns regarding the usage of the capital punishment to the highest echelons of the DRC government and will persist in doing so.”
The sentence was delivered live on TV from the compound of Ndolo Military Prison, located on the fringes of Kinshasa.
Earlier this year, in March, the DRC re-introduced the capital punishment, ending a 21-year-long standstill, as the administration endeavours to suppress increasing violence and terrorist activities.
The Ministry of Justice specified that the two-decade-long suspension from 2003 had resulted in culprits accused of treachery and spying escaping just desserts. – Guardian