THREE Americans convicted of attempting to overthrow the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have been returned to the US to serve out their prison sentences, the Central African country’s presidency announced on Tuesday.
Marcel Malanga Malu, Tylor Thomson, and Zalman-Polun Benjamin were among around 50 people, including a Belgian, a British national, and a Canadian, who were charged with criminal conspiracy, murder, terrorism, and other offenses, following a failed coup last May.
The three, along with 37 others, were sentenced to death by a military court in September. However, last week, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi commuted Marcel, Thompson, and Benjamin’s sentences to life imprisonment.
“The three men… boarded a flight to the United States of America, where they will serve the remainder of their sentences. This decision is part of a dynamic effort to strengthen judicial diplomacy and international cooperation in matters of justice and human rights between the two countries,” the DR Congo presidency stated.
“Officials from the United States Embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo were involved throughout the operation,” it added.
ALSO READ: Death sentence for three Americans over DR Congo coup attempt overturned
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has confirmed the transfer of the convicts to US custody.
The repatriation came after US President Donald Trump’s senior advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, paid a visit to the DR Congo. According to Reuters, the deal was finalized during the trip, when Boulos met with President Tshisekedi.
It also comes amid talks between Washington and Kinshasa to explore critical mining partnerships, after the Congolese government reportedly proposed a minerals-for-security agreement to the Trump administration.
The former Belgian colony is the world’s largest cobalt producer and a major copper supplier. The country has large coltan deposits, which are essential for the production of electric gadgets such as mobile phones and car batteries. The resources have been the source of decades of fighting in the country’s eastern region between the Congolese government and M23 militants, which escalated earlier this year, killing thousands.
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