Three Americans have been transferred to the United States after their death sentences over a foiled deadly coup were commuted to life imprisonment last week by Congolese authorities, in the wake of talks with US government officials.
The Americans, Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson Jr., and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun were among 37 people sentenced to death by a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in September for participating in the failed coup led by Malanga’s father, Christian.
At least six people, including Christian Malanga, an opposition politician were killed in a gun battle with presidential guards as the putschists sought to overthrow the government last May.
“They will serve their life sentences in the United States,” presidential spokesperson Tina Salama told CNN, adding that the three Americans were flown to the US Tuesday.
She earlier said the clemency decision was filed by the public prosecutor and recommended by the DRC justice minister.
DRC’s presidency said in a statement Tuesday that the repatriation of the Americans to the US was “part of a dynamic effort to strengthen judicial diplomacy and international cooperation in matters of justice and human rights between the two countries.”
The repatriation appears to soften the ground for a mooted minerals-for-security partnership between the US and the DRC as war rages in the country’s resource-rich eastern region between government forces and a rebel group.
Source: CNN