Trial Begins for Failed Coup Plotters in DR Congo

In a significant legal proceeding, more than 50 defendants, including six individuals holding U.S., British, Canadian, or Belgian citizenship, appeared in court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Friday. They face charges related to a failed coup attempt and other serious offences that carry the death penalty.

On May 19, armed men briefly occupied an office of the presidency in Kinshasa, the DRC’s capital. Their leader, U.S.-based Congolese politician Christian Malanga, was killed by security forces during the incident. Among the defendants is Malanga’s 22-year-old son, Marcel Malanga, alongside two other U.S. citizens and three other individuals holding foreign passports, all with Congolese roots.

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The first day of the military trial took place in the yard of Ndolo military prison on the outskirts of Kinshasa. Defendants, clad in blue and yellow prison-issued tops, lined up before the judge. They face a range of charges, including illegal arms possession, criminal conspiracy, terrorism, and attempts to destabilise state institutions and undermine the integrity of the state. Some charges could result in the death penalty or lengthy prison sentences.

Trial Begins for Failed Coup Plotters in DR Congo

Trial Begins for Failed Coup Plotters in DR Congo

During the trial, defendants were identified, and charges were read, but they were not asked to enter pleas. The DRC lifted a moratorium on the death penalty in March, citing the need to address treachery and espionage amid recurring armed conflicts.

The trial of these 51 individuals, including three Americans, is being broadcast live on national TV and radio from Ndolo military prison. This marks their first public appearance since the failed coup. Arrested during attacks on the presidential palace and the home of President Félix Tshisekedi’s ally, they face charges of financing terrorism, murder, and attempted assassination. The US State Department has not been granted access to its citizens in custody.

The attempted coup resulted in six deaths, including the suspected leader Christian Malanga. Local media reported the assailants as members of the New Zaire Movement linked to Malanga, who had acquired US citizenship. Among the US nationals arrested is 21-year-old Tyler Thompson, whose family expressed shock at his involvement.

Videos from Kinshasa showed Thompson being assaulted by Congolese security forces post-arrest. Other foreign nationals, including a Congolese man with Belgian citizenship and a Canadian originally from DRC, are also on trial. There are also investigations into allegations of extrajudicial executions by soldiers who foiled the coup.

President Tshisekedi, re-elected for a second term in December, won about 78% of the vote. Despite DRC’s vast mineral wealth, conflict, corruption, and poor governance continue to plague the nation, especially in the resource-rich east, where violence persists despite Tshisekedi’s efforts to impose a state of siege, broker ceasefire deals, and deploy regional troops.