Thirty-seven individuals, including three Americans, one Briton, one Belgian, and one Canadian, have received death sentences for their involvement in a failed coup attempt against the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
These individuals were accused of orchestrating an assault on the presidential palace and the residence of a key ally of President Félix Tshisekedi in May. Notably, Christian Malanga, a U.S. citizen of Congolese descent and the alleged ringleader of the plot, was killed during the attack alongside five others.
The military court trial processed a total of 51 people, with proceedings aired on national television and radio. During the trial, Malanga’s son, Marcel, stated that his father had threatened him with death if he did not participate in the scheme.
In the ruling, fourteen defendants were acquitted and released. While death sentences have not been enforced in the Democratic Republic of Congo for approximately two decades, with those sentenced typically serving life in prison, the government retracted this moratorium in March, citing the necessity to eliminate “traitors” from the military. Nonetheless, no executions have taken place since the lifting of the moratorium.
The coup attempt unfolded in Kinshasa on May 19, starting with an assault on the home of parliamentary speaker Vital Kamerhe before advancing to the president’s official residence. Reports indicate that a group of around 20 assailants dressed in military uniforms attacked the palace, leading to a gunfight. An army spokesperson subsequently announced on national television that security forces had thwarted “an attempted coup d’état.”
