₦airaland Forum

Three Americans convicted for their role in a failed coup in Democratic Republic of Congo last year have had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment, the presidency has said.

They were among 37 people sentenced to death last September by a military court.

The three were accused of leading an attack on both the presidential palace and the home of an ally of President Félix Tshisekedi last May.

The overturning of the sentences comes ahead of a visit to DR Congo by the newly appointed US senior advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos.

Boulos, father-in-law to President Donald Trump's daughter, Tiffany, is expected to arrive in Kinshasa on Thursday on a trip that will also take him to Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda.

The US has not declared the three Americans to be wrongfully jailed in DR Congo but the State Department said previously there have been talks between the countries over the matter.

The three were convicted of criminal conspiracy, terrorism and other charges, which they denied.

The suspected leader of the plot, Christian Malanga, a US national of Congolese origin, was killed during the attack, along with five others.

In total 51 people were tried in a military court, with hearings broadcast on national TV and radio.

Fourteen people were acquitted and freed, with the court finding they had no connection to the attack.

Death sentences have not been carried out in DR Congo for roughly two decades and convicts who receive the penalty usually serve life imprisonment instead.

The government lifted this moratorium in March this year, citing the need to remove "traitors" from the nation's dysfunctional army. However, no death penalties have been carried out since.

On Tuesday, President Tshisekedi signed orders to commute the Americans' death sentences, his spokesperson Tina Salama said in a televised statement.

The three - Marcel Malanga Malu, Tylor Thomson and Zalman Polun Benjamin - were granted "individual clemency," by the president, according to Salama.

Ckiness Ciamba, one of Malanga's lawyers, told Reuters news agency that the "presidential pardon is a first step that promises major changes in the future".

Jean-Jacques Wondo, a dual Congolese and Belgian citizen who was also sentenced to death, was in February transferred to Belgium due to ill-health. It is unclear if the Americans could also be sent home to serve out their sentences.

It is also not clear if the other convicts, who include a Briton, a Belgian and a Canadian national, will also have their sentences commuted.

The attempted coup began in the capital, Kinshasa, in the early hours of 19 May, when armed men first attacked parliamentary speaker Vital Kamerhe's home, before heading to the president's official residence in the capital.

Witnesses say a group of about 20 assailants in army uniform attacked the palace and an exchange of gunfire followed.

Mystic216:
America would have done same if reverse is the case

So may their souls rest in peace

AmazingGenius:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx1vdqrvl2o

bassdow:
Which means Americans could do such and go Scot free. Hopefully others are watching.

bassdow:
Next time you wanna arrange a Coup, just do it by Proxy using American Citizens.

Abeg don't do such in North Korea or Russia Ooo. Those ones no send USA

Mystic216:
America would have done same if reverse is the case

So may their souls rest in peace

Antichristian2:


Why can't they just kill them? Is it so difficult to kill at least i can kill chicken and ram that didn't commit any sin. Why can't the government kill criminals ASAP?

Highways:
Where Are The Cows? Is Evans A Herdsman?'


When Funke Olakurin, daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti was murdered instead of Bola Tinubu to make sure that the perpetrators were brought to book, he ended up making fun of the death of the young lady by turning everything into tribalism by showing his hates for Igbos.


Tinubu has never spoken against the deadly activities of Fulani herdsmen across the country

The same stand Adeyinka Grandson gave on the death of Fasoranti's daughter is where Tinubu, the leader of the Yoruba Conservatives stands. Please see Tinubu's video below. pic.twitter.com/COhiSvabqW

— Adeyinka Grandson (@deyinkagrandson) July 14, 2019

Mrs Olakunrin died of gunshot wounds in July 2019 after her vehicle was attacked by armed men, suspected to be marauding Fulani bandits whose violent activities had reached a frightening level across the southwest states.


Those arrested suspects include Lawal Mazaje, 40, from Felele area of Kogi State; Adamu Adamu, 50, from Jada area of Adamawa State; Mohammed Usman, 26, from Illela area of Sokoto State and Auwal Abubakar, 25, from Shinkafi area of Zamfara State....

However, the leader of the team, identified only as Tambaya, and three others are yet to be found.

Tambaya has been declared wanted by the police and he is said to be capable of communicating in Hausa, Fulfude and Pidgin English.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/388382-afenifere-police-speak-on-arrest-of-alleged-killers-of-fasorantis-daughter.html

sonsomegrigbo:
Hope the drug peddling FLAT HEADS see and learn from this..

Cos no country dem nor fit carry illicit drugs go

swaggerjack:
Reno Omokri: I Challenge Tinubu To Prove If He Was Not A Drug Lord In Chicago


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA7PoGtSvKo&feature=youtu.be

Mystic216:
America would have done same if reverse is the case

So may their souls rest in peace

fredoooooo:
The real coup plotters don veto dem to overturn it..
The owners of democracy and justice doing justice always their own way ..
Africa my continent

anonimi:
Neo-black Problem: Must Blacks Be Ruled by Whites in Order to Prosper?

In short, the neo-black dilemma may be framed as follows: is it better to live under white rule without political dignity but with basic life-sustaining standards for many;

or to live under black rule with illusory political dignity and without basic life- sustaining standards for the majority?
@
@
The path forward for Africa lies in cultivating higher and adequate levels of personal and communal agential integrity as well as full personal responsibility and productivity. Not to mention creativity (including epistemic creativity), productive justice (such as merit and freedom), harmony and reconciliation at local and international levels, and a proper domestication of capitalism and other related values and institutions.

Africa must stop wasting her time on dreams of socialism because it is a system of wealth distribution primarily. Whereas, capitalism is a system of wealth creation primarily, and wealth has to be produced before it can be distributed.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2024/10/12/neo-black-problem-must-blacks-be-ruled-by-whites-in-order-to-prosper/

kerry57:
Africans and our inferiority complex. This overturn must be to get one favour or the other from America most especially now that Rwanda M23 rebels are dealing with Congo. They will release those Americans without announcement.

The life sentence of their own citizens will be upheld as a matter of fact they will be killed by firing squad.

When will Mother African stand tall on her feet?

Mystic216:
America would have done same if reverse is the case

So may their souls rest in peace

Atheistan:
When you are from a working country that can voice for you.