More than 280 men, alleged to be “Romanian mercenaries” by the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF), have surrendered to the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The “mercenaries” are being escorted to Kigali after rebels captured the Congolese city of Goma, according to the RDF’s post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Newsweek cannot independently verify if the men are Romanian, serving as mercenaries for the DRC, and what their combat status is.
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, the Rwanda Defense Force, and the Ministry of Defense of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for comment via email outside of business hours.
Romanian mercenaries lined up to cross the border into Rwanda in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, on January 29, 2025.
Romanian mercenaries lined up to cross the border into Rwanda in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, on January 29, 2025.
Moses Sawasawa/Associated Press
Why It Matters
The DCR government’s alleged outsourcing of Romanian mercenaries indicates that they believed they were unprepared to fight the M23 rebels alone and sensed upcoming conflict.
The M23’s capture of Goma, following a series of military gains along the Congo’s border with Rwanda, could lead to more violence and long-term regional instability as the tensions between the two countries continue to rapidly escalate.
What To Know
In receiving the “Romanian mercenaries,” the RDF asserted that they were “fighting alongside the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC)” in the eastern part of DRC. Initially hired to aid the DRC’s defense of its borders crossing into Rwanda, the “mercenaries” will be heading home after their arrival in Kigali, as reported by Reuters.
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Romanian civilians and “private employees of the DRC government, on an army training mission” are in the DCR in a press release obtained by the outlet Romania Journal. The mercenaries were reportedly from a private army managed by Horațiu Potra, a Romanian military professional, on a mission to train the military forces of the DRC.
The DRC began hiring private military companies to stem the M23’s progress in their rebellion in the last two years.
Civil unrest in the West African nation has escalated recently, as protesters targeted the embassies of Rwanda, Uganda, France, Belgium, and the U.S. on January 28 amid an offensive by the M23 in the DRC. The attacks included looting, burning tires, throwing stones, and breaking and entering.
The United Nations and the U.S. have stated that the M23’s attack on the Congolese city of Goma has been directed and supported by Rwanda, although the East African country denies supporting the rebels. Rwanda has said they have troops and missile systems in the Eastern Congo, allegedly for security.
The M23 rebels, led by ethnic Tutsis, claimed to have taken control of Goma on January 27, and the Congolese government responded that their advance on the capital was a “declaration of war.”
What People Are Saying
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mélanie Gouby, a journalist, wrote: “Recalibrating the image of the ‘mercenary’… they take the bus like you! Astonishing footage coming out of Rwanda, Romanians hired by Kinshasa to fight alongside the Congolese army are going home and flying from the country they were facing in battle just days ago.”
Arthur Asiimwe, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Rwanda Embassy in Washington, D.C., wrote on X: “Hope now the international community can understand why Rwanda had to put in place strong defensive measures to safeguard its territory! A cocktail of blood-thirst militias combined with European mercenaries and rented armies from SADC & Burundi —all pointing guns to one direction … Any serious government would have no other alternative but to defend itself!”
Andrew M. Mwenda, a Ugandan journalist, wrote on X: “Since independence, governments in DRC have relied on white mercenaries to suppress local movements seeking to challenge its tyranny, corruption and incompetence. For the first time in its history, the people of Congo, through M23, have neutralized this foreign threat. Here, 288 Romanian mercenaries who surrendered to M23 are counted and sent back to Europe, a pathetic and dejected lot. All the forces Kinshasa has assembled to protect itself from its own citizens have failed – the UN, the South African army, the white mercenaries etc. It is now time for Felix Tshisekedi to realize the futility of his approach. A military solution against M23 is not possible. Only a peaceful political solution will work. M23 are read to talk. Is Tshisekedi willing to do similar?”
What Happens Next
Following the M23’s capture of Goma, the eight-state East African Community, of which Congo and Rwanda are members, is scheduled to hold an emergency summit on Wednesday evening.