Nearly 300 Foreign Mercenaries Withdraw from Eastern Congo as M23 Rebels Secure Goma
Nearly 300 foreign individuals, alleged to be Romanian mercenaries, surrendered to United Nations (U.N.) peacekeepers in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after the city fell to M23 rebels earlier this week.
According to reports, the mercenaries were taken under Rwandan military supervision and transported to Kigali, where they will be flown back to Romania.
The mercenaries were hired to assist the Congolese army against the M23 rebels, who are allegedly backed by Rwanda.
When M23 took control of Goma, the mercenaries, along with remnants of the Congolese army and allied militias, were trapped near Lake Kivu and the Rwandan border. With no way out, they surrendered to U.N. forces, who arranged their evacuation through Rwanda.
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the presence of Romanian citizens working as “private employees of the DRC government.” The mercenaries were reportedly part of a private army led by Romanian military company Horațiu Potra. Approximately 800 Romanian mercenaries are reportedly active in the DRC, according to reports.
The fall of Goma has increased tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. The Congolese government accuses Rwanda of supporting M23, while Rwanda says it is acting in self-defense.
In response to M23’s gains, angry protesters in Kinshasa attacked the embassies of Rwanda, France, Belgium, and the United States, blaming foreign influence for the conflict. The U.S. State Department has since ordered non-essential embassy staff to leave the DRC.
The M23 rebels seized are reportedly moving south toward Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.