Death penalty requested against 50 defendants

Palace of the Nation in Kinshasa

Since June 7, 2024, the Kinshasa-Gombe garrison military court, sitting within the Ndolo military prison, has been trying 51 people for what the army has described as “attempted coup”.

Six foreigners are among them: three Americans born in the United States – Marcel Malanga (22 years old), Tyler Thompson (22 years old) and Benjamin Zalman-Polun (36 years old) – as well as a Belgian, a Briton and a Canadian, all three naturalized Congolese.

With the exception of the defendant Alain Tikimo, who suffered from “psychological disorders”Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Radjabu, representative of the public prosecutor, called on the judges to “sentence to capital punishment” all the defendants for “attack”, “terrorism”, “attempted assassination”, “association
of criminals” et “murder”Tuesday August 27.

In its indictment, the prosecution also asked the court “to order the confiscation of all objects used in the commission of the offences, for the benefit of the Congolese State”.

A coup attempt dated May 19, 2024

On the morning of May 19, 2024, several dozen men attacked the home of the outgoing Minister of Economy, Vital Kamerhe, who has since become President of the National Assembly, before storming the Palais de la Nation.a historic building housing the offices of President Félix Tshisekedi.

Security forces quickly intervened and arrested around forty men and killed four others, including their alleged leader, Christian Malanga (41), a Congolese living in the United States.