Dozens of Romanian mercenaries stranded in Congo amid rebel offensive

Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) issued a press release confirming that a group of Romanian citizens is stranded in north Congo amid a major offensive by rebel group M23.

The Romanians, reportedly mercenaries contracted by the government, are in the city of Goma, in the North Kivu province of the African country, right on the border with Rwanda and Uganda. M23 has the backing of Rwanda, which has now deployed its army on the border with Congo.

The Romanian mercenaries were allegedly employed by Horațiu Potra, an associate of pro-Russian politician Călin Georgescu, and sent to Goma to establish government control, according to PressOne. Potra, who faced legal troubles in Romania after he was accused of planning to incite protests and violating the rules regarding weapons and ammunition, previously confirmed that he established security for Georgescu with the help of former mercenaries who worked in Congo.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not confirm the identity or number of those stranded. “Requests for consular assistance have been received from their families. The long-standing conflict in the North Kivu region is evolving dynamically and unpredictably. The current situation on the ground is extremely volatile and dangerous,” the press release states.

MAE has issued a travel advisory for the area and assures that it is in constant contact with civilian and military UN bodies, as well as with those in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda.

On Monday, January 27, gunfire was heard in Goma, with the rebels declaring that they had captured the city. Thousands of people fled as the rebels advanced in the mineral-rich area of Congo.

The rebels ordered government soldiers to surrender by Monday at 3 AM local time, and 100 Congolese soldiers handed over their weapons to Uruguayan troops from the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO), according to Uruguay's military.

On Monday morning, MONUSCO staff and their families were evacuated across the border to Rwanda. About 14,000 UN peacekeepers are on the ground, and multiple were injured, according to Euronews.

Fighting has been ongoing in Congo since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which has spread across the neighboring countries as Tutsi-led groups clashed with Hutus. There are around 100 armed groups in Congo, aside from M23.