A military court in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, has sentenced 37 people to death for their involvement in a failed coup attempt in May. Among the convicted are three American citizens, who were reportedly coerced into participating by Christian Malanga, the leader of the coup.
Marcel Malanga, who is a 21-year-old U.S. citizen, said his father"threatened to kill him" if he and his two high school friends did not take part in the coup attempt .handed down death sentence s Friday to 37 people, including three Americans , after convicting them on charges of participating in a coup attempt .
Malanga’s 21-year-old son Marcel Malanga, who is a U.S. citizen, and two other Americans were convicted in the coup attempt. He told the court that his father had forced him and his high school friend to take part in the attack.Other members of the ragtag militia recounted similar threats from the elder Malanga, and some described being duped into believing they were working for a volunteer organization.
The other Americans are Tyler Thompson Jr., 21, who flew to Africa from Utah with the younger Malanga 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 company was set up in Mozambique in 2022, according to an official journal published by Mozambique’s government, and a report by the Africa Intelligence newsletter.
Thompson had been invited on an Africa trip by the younger Malanga, his former high school football teammate in a Salt Lake City suburb. But the itinerary might have included more than sightseeing. Other teammates alleged that Marcel had offered up to $100,000 to join him on a “security job” in Congo, and they said he seemed desperate to bring along an American friend.
“My thoughts are with the families during this difficult time," Lee told the AP on Friday. “We will continue to work with the State Department to receive updates on this case.”
Congo Coup Attempt Death Sentence Americans Military Court
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