More than 200 European mercenaries, including dozens of Romanians, who supported the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in fighting M23 rebels have arrived in Rwanda. They are set to depart from Kigali International Airport to return to their home countries.
Romanian private military fighters arrived in Rwanda after crossing the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their arrival comes as the city of Goma in the DRC faces the threat of falling to M23 fighters, who are backed by Rwanda.
A total of 288 Romanian mercenaries from the private military company Congo Protection, allied with the Congolese army since late 2022, surrendered to Rwandan authorities. The Rwandan defense ministry confirmed their surrender and evacuation.
The adventure of these Romanian mercenaries, managed in Goma by Horatiu Potra, a former member of the French Foreign Legion, ended on January 29, three days after M23 rebels and their Rwandan allies entered Goma. Initially, the soldiers provided training and artillery support to the Congolese army (FARDC) before engaging in ground combat.
Approximately 800 Romanians are estimated to be active within the DRC, hired by the government to maintain security. Their retreat into Rwanda underscores the deteriorating situation in the region as clashes intensify and tensions rise between Rwanda and the DRC.
Their surrender following a rebel assault on Goma shattered the hopes of those who took the job for high pay. Contracts seen by the BBC show that these hired soldiers were being paid around $5,000 a month, while regular military recruits earn about $100 or sometimes go unpaid.
When the offensive on Goma began, the Romanians took refuge at a UN peacekeeping base. Constantin Timofti, a coordinator for the group, told Romanian TVR channel, “The M23 rebels were supported by troops and state-of-the-art military equipment from Rwanda and managed to reach our positions around the city of Goma. The national army gave up fighting, and we were forced to withdraw.”
Romania’s foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Țărnea told the BBC that complex negotiations followed, leading to the M23 handing over the Romanian fighters—described as private employees of the DRC government on an army training mission—to Rwanda.
Journalists filmed the mercenaries crossing the border into Rwanda, undergoing body searches and other checks. Footage showed M23 commander Willy Ngoma berating one of the Romanians, telling him to sit on the ground, cross his legs, and put his hands over his head.
Ngoma pointed out the disparity between the Romanian’s pay and that of a Congolese army recruit, warning against coming to the region for adventure. Contracts reviewed by the BBC detailed that senior personnel started at $5,000 per month during active duty and $3,000 during periods of leave.
One unnamed mercenary, identifying himself as Romanian, told Reuters, “We are just relieved because we can finally go home… it’s a big relief… Goma is devastated because of the war between the Rwandans and the Congolese.”
As Rwandan-backed rebels have gained ground over the past two years, the DRC has turned to private military companies to bolster its defenses. The Romanian mercenaries were employed to support local troops and provide training, fighting alongside DRC government forces.
According to PressOne, the Romanian contractors included reservists from various Romanian law enforcement services such as the police, Gendarmerie units, military special forces, and civilians. Congo has a history of hiring mercenaries, including during the siege of Jadotville in 1961.
Congo employed the services of Agemira RDC, a subsidiary of a Bulgarian-based parent company, for logistics, and Congo Protection, led by a former member of the French Foreign Legion, for training. However, the lack of coordination between military contractors and other actors on the ground worsened the conflict.
Rwanda’s army stated it took in over 280 Romanian mercenaries and would transport them to the capital, Kigali. The United Nations Security Council demanded that rebels stop the offensive and that “external forces” withdraw immediately, warning that rebel activities endanger civil aviation and hinder humanitarian aid delivery to North Kivu.
The conflict stems from ethnic tensions, with M23 claiming to defend ethnic Tutsis who fled to the DRC after the 1994 genocide. Analysts suggest the real fight is for control over the DRC’s vast mineral deposits, critical to the world’s technology.
The DRC, United States, and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23.
Rwanda denies backing the rebels but says it has taken defensive measures and accuses the DRC of fighting alongside perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Fighting with the M23 rebels in eastern DRC has resulted in the deaths of six United Nations peacekeepers, UN officials confirmed on Saturday. Among the casualties were two South African peacekeepers killed on Friday and a Uruguayan Blue Helmet on Saturday. The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s second-biggest party, reported that an additional 18 South African soldiers were injured in the clashes with M23.
Three Malawian peacekeepers were also killed in eastern Congo, adding to the toll of the ongoing conflict. South Africa’s Department of Defense confirmed the deaths of the two peacekeepers in a statement on Saturday and noted that seven South African soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission (SAMIDRC) were also killed during the clashes with M23 over the last two days.
“After two days of fierce fighting with the M23 rebel group in the eastern DRC, the South African contingent, alongside its counterparts, was able to halt the advancement of the rebel group towards Goma,” the statement read.
