KINSHASA: The death sentences of three US citizens convicted for their role in a failed coup in Democratic Republic of Congo last year have been commuted to life imprisonment, the presidency said, ahead of a visit by the new US senior adviser for Africa.
The Americans were among some 50 people, including US, British, Canadian, Belgian and Congolese citizens, who stood trial last year following the botched attempt to overthrow the government in May.
A total of 37 defendants were sentenced to death by a military court in September, including US citizens Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson and Benjamin Zalman-Polun.
All three were found guilty of criminal conspiracy, terrorism and other charges.
They denied any wrongdoing and unsuccessfully appealed against the verdict. But Congo’s justice ministry then proposed a pardon, which the public prosecutor requested from the presidency.
President Felix Tshisekedi on Tuesday signed three orders to commute their sentences to life in prison, his spokesperson Tina Salama said on national television.
“This presidential pardon is a first step that promises major changes in the future,” one of Malanga’s lawyers, Ckiness Ciamba, said by telephone.
Relatives of Malanga and a lawyer for Zalman-Polun did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Thompson’s parents declined to speak on the record.
Marcel Malanga is the son of US-based Congolese politician Christian Malanga, who led the armed men who briefly occupied an office of the presidency in the capital Kinshasa on May 19 before security forces killed him.
Thompson is a friend of Marcel Malanga who played high school football with him in Utah. Both are in their 20s. Zalman-Polun was a business associate of Christian Malanga.
Their sentences were commuted ahead of a trip to Congo by the newly appointed US senior adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos.
Boulos, the father-in-law of US President Donald Trump’s daughter Tiffany, will travel to Congo, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda from April 3, the State Department said in a statement on Tuesday.
He will seek to advance efforts for peace in east Congo, where a Rwanda-backed rebellion is raging, and promote US private sector investment in the region.
Congo commutes death sentences for US citizens in failed coup
https://arab.news/bf3cy
Congo commutes death sentences for US citizens in failed coup
- The Americans were among some 50 people who stood trial last year
- A total of 37 defendants were sentenced to death by a military court in September
Kerala on alert as toxic cargo ship sinks in Arabian Sea
- Vessel loaded with 84 metric tons of diesel and 367 metric tons of furnace oil
- Strong water currents off Kerala complicate pollution response, expert says
NEW DELHI: India’s southern state of Kerala was on high alert Sunday after a Liberian-flagged vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank off its coast.
The Indian Ministry of Defense said the 184-meter MSC Elsa 3 container ship was en route to Kochi from Vizhinjam on Saturday when it issued a distress call.
All 24 members of the vessel’s crew — which included nationals of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines — were rescued by the Coast Guard and the Navy.
“The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide,” the ministry said.
It did not specify what other hazardous substances were onboard, but calcium carbide becomes dangerous on contact with water, producing acetylene gas, which is flammable and explosive.
The vessel was also loaded with more than 84 metric tons of diesel and 367 metric tons of furnace oil.
Diesel and furnace oil are both classified as marine pollutants. They are toxic to marine life and can contaminate coastal ecosystems.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority issued a public warning on Saturday, when the ship started losing containers in the Arabian Sea. The authority’s secretary told reporters that “there is a chance the cargo, including containers and oil, will wash ashore.”
The Indian Coast Guard has deployed spill detection systems.
“ICG aircraft equipped with advanced oil spill mapping technology are conducting aerial assessment of the affected area,” it said. “As of now, no oil spill has been reported.”
What complicates pollution response is strong currents off the coast of Kerala, which, if leakage occurs, may move the spill toward the south, to Alleppey and Kollam districts, Prof. Biju Kumar, dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Kerala, told Arab News.
“These are the best fishing grounds, as far as Kerala is concerned. Any kind of oil spill will have consequences that will affect marine life. The major issue will be the fish fauna,” he said.
“The major threat is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are the most toxic component in any oil. They may be absorbed by plankton, which is a major food source for the commercially available fish … The PAH will remain in the water for a longer time. It essentially means that we need long-term monitoring if it happens.”
Kerala on alert as toxic cargo ship sinks in Arabian Sea
- Vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide
- All 24 members of the vessel’s crew, including nationals of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Philippines, were rescued
NEW DELHI: India’s southern state of Kerala was on high alert Sunday after a Liberian-flagged vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank off its coast.
The Indian Ministry of Defense said the 184-meter MSC Elsa 3 container ship was en route to Kochi from Vizhinjam on Saturday, when it issued a distress call.
All 24 members of the vessel’s crew — which included nationals of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines — were rescued by the Coast Guard and the Navy.
“The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide,” the ministry said.
It did not specify what other hazardous substances were onboard, but calcium carbide becomes dangerous on contact with water, producing acetylene gas, which is flammable and explosive.
The vessel was also loaded with more than 84 metric tons of diesel and 367 metric tons of furnace oil.
Diesel and furnace oil are both classified as marine pollutants. They are toxic to marine life and can contaminate coastal ecosystems.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority issued a public warning on Saturday, when the ship started losing containers in the Arabian Sea. The authority’s secretary told reporters that “there is a chance the cargo, including containers and oil, will wash ashore.”
The Indian Coast Guard has deployed spill detection systems.
“ICG aircraft equipped with advanced oil spill mapping technology are conducting aerial assessment of the affected area,” it said. “As of now, no oil spill has been reported.”
What complicates pollution response is strong currents off the coast of Kerala, which if leakage occurs may move the spill toward the south, to Alleppey and Kollam districts, Prof. Biju Kumar, dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Kerala, told Arab News.
“These are the best fishing grounds, as far as Kerala is concerned. Any kind of oil spill will have consequences, which will affect marine life. The major issue will be the fish fauna,” he said.
“The major threat is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are the most toxic component in any oil. They may be absorbed by plankton, which is a major food source for the commercially available fish ... The PAH will remain in the water for a longer time. It essentially means that we need long-time monitoring if it happens.”
Spain hosts European, Arab nations to pressure Israel on Gaza
- Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares says the international community should look to sanction Israel to stop the war in Gaza
- Madrid is hosting 20 countries alongside international organizations on Sunday with the aim of stopping the war
MADRID: The international community should look to sanction Israel to stop the war in Gaza, Spain’s foreign minister said, ahead of a Madrid meeting of European and Arab nations on Sunday to urge a halt to its offensive.
Countries Israel had long counted on as allies have been adding their voices to growing international pressure after it expanded military operations against Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whose 2023 attack on Israel sparked the devastating war.
A two-month aid blockade has worsened shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine in the Palestinian territory, sparking fears of famine.
Aid organizations say the trickle of supplies Israel allowed to enter in recent days falls far short of needs.
Madrid will host 20 countries as well as international organizations on Sunday with the aim of “stopping this war, which no longer has any goal,” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told France Info radio.
Humanitarian aid must enter Gaza “massively, unimpeded, neutrally, so that it is not Israel who decides who can eat and who cannot,” he said.
A previous such gathering in Madrid last year brought together countries including Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye as well as European nations such as Ireland and Norway that have recognized a Palestinian state.
Sunday’s meeting, which also includes representatives from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, will promote a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
After the European Union decided this week to review its cooperation deal with Israel, Albares said “we must consider sanctions, we must do everything, consider everything to stop this war.”
Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mainly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Palestinian militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed almost 54,000 people, mostly civilians, according to Hamas-run Gaza’s health ministry.
Chinese PM in Indonesia to expand trade ties as US rivalry grows
- China wants to increase cooperation with Indonesia under Belt and Road Initiative, Li says
- From Jakarta, he will head to Malaysia for the ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Summit
JAKARTA: Indonesia and China signed a series of agreements enhancing trade ties on Sunday, following Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s meetings with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta.
Li arrived in the Indonesian capital on Saturday for a three-day visit.
He was received by Prabowo with a guard of honor at the Presidential Palace on Sunday morning, where they witnessed the signing of 12 memoranda, including on investment, banking, cooperation between sovereign wealth funds, industry, supply chains, tourism, economy, and health.
“I reaffirm our commitment to strengthen this partnership with the People’s Republic of China … We view this relationship as bringing benefits not only to our two countries but also to the entire Asian region and possibly even the world,” Prabowo said during the meeting, as quoted by his office.
The visit comes against the backdrop of the US global trade war and intensifying geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Beijing, which has lately seen China’s top leaders increase their regional outreach and engagement with Southeast Asian countries.
Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted Li as saying during talks with Prabowo that China is “willing to work with Indonesia to enhance alignment of development strategies and deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.”
The Belt and Road Initiative is a multibillion-dollar network of massive road, energy, port and industrial projects launched by Beijing in 2013 to connect China to the rest of Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Both China and Indonesia are members of the G20 forum of the world’s largest economies and in January this year, Indonesia joined the China-led BRICS grouping, which is also spearheaded by Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa.
Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian country to enter the bloc, which is the most powerful geopolitical forum outside of the Western world.
During Li’s visit, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the China Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia signed an agreement to increase business collaboration, bilateral trade and investment flows.
The Chinese premier’s delegation featured dozens of business leaders who met Indonesian entrepreneurs at the Indonesia-China Business Reception on Saturday, which was also attended by Prabowo and the Chinese premier.
“Indonesia-China trade reaches $130 billion a year, making China Indonesia’s largest trading partner. This is an opportunity to increase investment and create jobs,” Kadin chairman Anindya Novyan Bakrie said in a statement.
“When relations are good, licenses are certainly easier, and funding will be more accessible. For sure, we want more investment to boost the economy and create jobs.”
On Monday, Li will head to Malaysia for the ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Summit, attended by leaders from Southeast Asian countries and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Malaysia calls for Myanmar truce extension, pushes for peace deal
- Malaysian government calls for the extension of post earthquake ceasefire in Myanmar
- More than 6,600 killed and over a million displaced according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
KUALA LAMPUR: Malaysia called Sunday for the extension and expansion of a post-earthquake ceasefire in Myanmar, as it ramped up calls for the long-awaited implementation of a five-point peace plan.
The ruling military junta initially declared a truce in the many-sided civil war after a huge quake in late March killed nearly 3,800 and left tens of thousands homeless.
That agreement, which has been extended before, is due to expire at the end of May — though conflict monitors say fighting and junta airstrikes have continued throughout.
At a meeting of regional foreign ministers on Sunday, Malaysia’s Mohamad Hasan “proposed the extension and expansion of ceasefires beyond the currently affected zones,” a statement said.
“We call on the stakeholders in Myanmar to cease hostilities, and to extend and expand the ceasefire, to facilitate the long and difficult path toward recovery, and ease the suffering of the people of Myanmar,” Mohamad said in his opening remarks.
The United Nations and independent conflict monitors say the junta has continued its campaign of aerial bombardment despite the ceasefire.
Numerous anti-coup and ethnic armed groups have made their own pledges to pause hostilities.
However some residents in eastern Myanmar said they have been displaced as anti-coup forces besieged junta-held towns.
More than 6,600 people have been killed since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, and millions displaced.
Malaysia currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with leaders due to meet at a summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
The bloc has led so far fruitless diplomatic efforts to end Myanmar’s conflict since the junta staged a coup deposing civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.
ASEAN has struggled to implement the five-point peace plan agreed by all bloc leaders in April 2021.
As a result junta officials have been barred from ASEAN summits over lack of progress on the deal.
“One thing for sure that we agreed is that Myanmar’s government... must comply with the five points consensus which they themselves agreed on as one of the signatories,” Mohamad said later on Sunday.
He stressed two of the most important points were an immediate halt to hostilities, and the appointment of a special envoy to visit Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok in April and urged him to respect the truce.
That followed an earlier visit by Mohamad and Thai counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa to Naypyidaw as part of ASEAN’s efforts to assess humanitarian needs and aid delivery to those affected by the earthquake.
Mohamad told reporters Sunday he would visit Naypyidaw in an ASEAN capacity in June.
“We have to explore (the issue) with patience because the warring sections have been against each other for decades,” Mohamad said.
Myanmar’s junta has announced plans to hold an election around the end of the year.
But the opposition has urged the public and political parties to boycott any poll organized by the military government.
Mohamad said Sunday there was “no point” in having an election if there was only partial participation by the people.
