As the world grapples with the complexities of global politics, a seemingly unlikely scenario has unfolded in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two American young men, Tyler Thompson and Marcel Malanga, along with 35 others, have been sentenced to death for their involvement in a botched coup attempt. But how did these two young men, from Salt Lake City, Utah, end up entangled in a plot to overthrow the Congolese president?

The story begins with Christian Malanga, Marcel's father, who was born in the DRC but moved to the United States as a refugee in the 1990s. After becoming disillusioned with the government, he created a government-in-exile in Brussels and proclaimed himself president of the United Congolese Party. He assembled a group of paramilitaries and, on May 19, launched an attempt to unseat President Felix Tshisekedi.

But what motivated these two young men to join the coup? Tyler Thompson, 21, met Marcel Malanga while playing football at Copper Hills High School. The elder Malanga, Christian, had befriended the family and, allegedly, threatened to kill them if they didn't take part in the coup. Marcel's mother, Brittney Sawyer, claims her son is innocent and was swept up in events outside of his control. 

Meanwhile, Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, a convicted drug trafficker from Maryland, was also involved. What drove these individuals to take part in a plot that would ultimately result in their imprisonment and, potentially, death?

CHRISTIAN MALANGA

The Unlikely American Coup: A Tale of Two Young Men and a Warlord's Ambition

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