After military tribunal convictions and death sentences, trio returns amid DRC-U.S. negotiations on minerals and regional security
KINSHASA / WASHINGTON, D.C. — April 9, 2025 — Three Americans convicted and sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for their involvement in a failed coup attempt against President Félix Tshisekedi’s government have been repatriated to the United States, where they will serve their sentences under American custody, U.S. and Congolese officials have confirmed.
The repatriation marks a dramatic turn in a months-long diplomatic saga that began with a shocking armed incursion into Kinshasa’s presidential palace in May 2024. The group included 21-year-old Marcel Malanga, the son of opposition figure and self-declared coup leader Christian Malanga, who was killed during the operation.
According to Congolese authorities, Christian Malanga led the failed coup and livestreamed the group’s advance on the presidential palace before being fatally shot while resisting arrest. His son, Marcel, later claimed that he was coerced by his father into participating in the attack.
Profiles of the Repatriated Americans
In addition to Marcel Malanga, two other U.S. citizens were handed over to American authorities following negotiations between Kinshasa and Washington.
One was 21-year-old Tyler Thompson Jr., a resident of Utah and a friend of Marcel’s, who traveled to Africa under the impression he was embarking on an all-expenses-paid vacation. His family has maintained he was misled and had no awareness of the coup plot.
The third individual, 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, has a background in mining and reportedly had business dealings with Christian Malanga through a gold mining venture in Africa. U.S. and Congolese sources suggest he may have played a financial or logistical role in the plot, though the full extent of his involvement remains unclear.
A Diplomatic Balancing Act
Following their September 2024 conviction by a military tribunal in the DRC, all three Americans were sentenced to death—sparking intense diplomatic negotiations. U.S. officials, while condemning the coup attempt, pressed for humane treatment and due process for their citizens.
“We strongly condemn the armed attacks of May 19th and support the DRC authorities in holding those responsible appropriately accountable,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. “At the same time, we seek consistent, compassionate, humane treatment and a fair legal process on behalf of those U.S. citizens.”
Sources close to the negotiations say that their release was not a unilateral gesture of goodwill. Rather, it came amid quiet but strategic talks between the two governments over deeper cooperation on security issues and mineral extraction in the DRC’s volatile eastern regions.
Context: Conflict and Resource Politics
The repatriation of the Americans coincides with growing U.S. interest in securing access to critical minerals such as cobalt and lithium, key components in the global energy transition. The DRC holds some of the world’s largest reserves of these minerals, much of them located in the conflict-ridden provinces of North and South Kivu.
Since early 2025, the Congolese military has been under pressure from renewed offensives by the M23 rebel group, which Kinshasa and the United Nations allege is backed by neighboring Rwanda—a charge Kigali denies. The fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians and disrupted mining operations vital to the global supply chain.
In an effort to stabilize the region, the U.S. has reportedly proposed a bilateral agreement offering military training, intelligence sharing, and drone surveillance in exchange for exclusive mineral rights or long-term contracts with U.S.-based companies.
While neither side has officially confirmed the terms of such a deal, diplomatic analysts see the Americans’ repatriation as part of a broader realignment of interests between Washington and Kinshasa.
Justice Abroad, Questions at Home
Under international law and existing bilateral treaties, the United States may commute or convert the Congolese death sentences into lengthy prison terms served domestically. Legal experts say this is a common practice when citizens are convicted abroad under capital punishment.
“While these individuals have been returned to U.S. soil, their convictions remain valid, and the U.S. has the legal tools to enforce the sentences in accordance with its own system,” said Dr. Amanda Healy, an international law professor at Georgetown University.
However, questions remain over the process that led the three Americans—especially the younger individuals—to become entangled in what officials described as a reckless and amateur coup attempt.
“We still don’t understand the full picture,” said one U.S. intelligence official, speaking on background. “We know Christian Malanga was a fringe political figure with a history of provocative rhetoric and grandstanding. But the presence of two young Americans with limited life experience raises concerns about manipulation or misrepresentation.”
Impact on U.S.-Africa Relations
The incident, while resolved diplomatically, has highlighted the broader challenges facing U.S.-Africa relations in a multipolar world where regional instability, mineral wealth, and foreign influence—particularly from China and Russia—are reshaping strategic alliances.
“This case underscores the need for a more comprehensive U.S. strategy in Central Africa—one that balances security concerns with economic development and governance reforms,” said Kwame Akosah, a senior fellow at the Africa Policy Forum.
As the dust settles on this unusual chapter of international relations, the three Americans—now back on U.S. soil—face a future shaped by choices made in a conflict thousands of miles from home. Whether they are seen as pawns, perpetrators, or something in between, their story is a cautionary tale of geopolitics, deception, and consequences.
