Thirty-seven people, including three Americans, have been sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo for their involvement in a failed attempt to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi.
The men were accused of orchestrating a coordinated attack on the presidential palace and the residence of Vital Kamerhe, an ally of the president, in May.
The incident was described as an alarming breach of national security. “The attackers launched their assault on government targets in the early hours, causing chaos and fear in the heart of Kinshasa,” an army spokesman told national television.
Among those implicated was Christian Malanga, a US citizen of Congolese origin and the suspected ringleader of the plot. Malanga was killed during the attack along with five others, according to authorities.
“We have neutralized the main instigators of this treasonous act,” the spokesman added.
In total, 51 individuals were tried in a military court, with the proceedings broadcast on national TV and radio, reflecting the high-profile nature of the case.
Though death sentences have not been carried out in the DR Congo for nearly two decades, a government official said in March that the moratorium was lifted to deal with “traitors” within the army.
“Our dysfunctional army cannot afford to harbor those who plot against the state,” the official said.
Despite the renewed stance, no executions have been carried out since the policy change. Typically, those sentenced to death serve life imprisonment instead.
The dramatic coup attempt on May 19 began with an assault on Kamerhe’s home, followed by an attack on the president’s official residence. Witnesses described how about 20 armed men, dressed in military uniforms, stormed the palace, resulting in a fierce exchange of gunfire.
“We stopped an attempted coup d’etat,” an army spokesman declared on television, assuring the public that security forces had the situation under control.
