A British man, Youssouf Ezangi, 53, has been sentenced to death by a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for his involvement in a failed coup attempt.
Ezangi, a UK citizen of Congolese descent and a London-based plumber, was one of six foreign nationals convicted of attempted coup, terrorism, and criminal association.
Among the 37 convicted were a Canadian, a Belgian, and three Americans. The coup aimed to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi, who has governed the DRC since 2019.
Six people were killed during the botched operation, which took place on May 19, 2023. The coup’s leader, Christian Malanga, was killed by security forces shortly after livestreaming the attack on the presidential palace.
Malanga’s son Marcel, 21, and his friend Tyler Thompson, also 21 and from Utah, were among those convicted.
Marcel testified that his father had coerced him into participating, threatening to kill him if he disobeyed. Similar claims of coercion were made by other defendants and Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, who insisted her son was innocent.
Thompson described the night of the coup attempt, stating, “Christian had woken us up in the middle of the night dressed in a military uniform with a gun around his waist and said the military will arrive here shortly.” Thompson claimed Malanga had threatened to kill him if he didn’t follow orders.
Christian Malanga, a little-known used car salesman and gold miner, had presented himself as the leader of an exiled government.
He allegedly lured his son and others into the plot with promises of £76,000 for a “security job” in Congo.
The DRC reinstated the death penalty earlier this year but hopes remain for an appeal. Richard Bondo, the lawyer representing the foreign nationals, announced plans to challenge the verdict, citing the lack of adequate interpreters during the trial. The defendants have five days to appeal.
The UK Foreign Office is providing consular assistance to Ezangi and is in contact with DRC authorities. A spokesperson stated, “We have made representations about the use of the death penalty to the DRC at the highest levels, and we will continue to do so.”
The third American involved was Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36, believed to have met Malanga through a gold mining venture.
