In a surprising turn of events, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi has granted a presidential pardon to three American nationals who were sentenced to death for their involvement in a failed coup attempt last year.
The decision, announced Tuesday by presidential spokesperson Tina Salama, commutes the death sentences of Marcel Malanga, a Utah-born U.S. citizen, and two other Americans to life imprisonment.
“They will not be executed, as the death penalty is commuted,” Salama confirmed, though the exact reasoning behind the pardon remains unclear.
The move comes amid growing diplomatic engagement between the DRC and the United States, particularly as President Tshisekedi seeks stronger security ties with Washington. Recently, the Congolese leader proposed a deal offering critical minerals in exchange for U.S. military support to combat the M23 rebel group, which continues to destabilize eastern DRC.
The three Americans were among 37 individuals convicted in September 2024 for their roles in the botched coup. The attack initially targeted the home of then-Vice Prime Minister Vital Kamerhe before shifting toward the Palais de la Nation, the presidential palace. Congolese security forces swiftly crushed the uprising, killing six people, including the alleged mastermind, Christian Malanga, a former Utah-based car dealer and father of Marcel Malanga.
During the trial, Marcel Malanga and his childhood friend Tyler Thompson Jr., both 21, claimed they had been forced into participating under threat from Christian Malanga. Despite their pleas, they were convicted alongside a Canadian, a British national, a Belgian, and several Congolese co-defendants.
The case drew attention from U.S. officials, with the State Department monitoring proceedings and Utah Senators Mike Lee and Mitt Romney engaging in behind-the-scenes diplomacy. While the U.S. government has not publicly commented on the pardon, the decision may signal a thaw in relations as the two nations explore deeper cooperation.
Human rights groups have long criticized the DRC’s use of the death penalty, and the commutation could be seen as a step toward judicial reform, or simply a strategic move amid shifting geopolitical alliances.
For now, the three Americans will remain imprisoned, but their lives have been spared. As the DRC navigates internal strife and external pressures, this unexpected act of clemency raises questions about what comes next in the complex relationship between Kinshasa and Washington.
