The Congolese presidency on Tuesday said three American citizens jailed over a failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo were handed over to US custody after high-level talks between the two countries on security and mining deals.
According to the presidency, the Americans had been transferred to US authorities after their sentences were commuted last week to serve their time at home.
We reported that the deal to hand over the Americans was finalised when US President Donald Trump's senior Africa adviser, Massad Boulos, traveled to Congo to hold meetings with President Felix Tshisekedi in the capital Kinshasa.
Their release came at a time of intensifying negotiations between Washington and Kinshasa.
The State Department said last month after Congo pitched a minerals-for-security deal to the Trump administration that the United States was open to exploring critical minerals partnerships.
Ahead of the trip, Trump's special envoy for hostage response had called on Tshisekedi to release the Americans.
"This shows that the collaboration and cooperation between the two states is growing stronger and stronger," Tina Salama, Tshisekedi's spokesperson said.
The State Department said that bringing home Americans was a top priority for the administration.
Joseph Szlavik-Soto, a lobbyist working for Kinshasa, said the Congolese had also agreed to pay for the damage caused by protesters who attacked the US embassy and other missions earlier this year.
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