The news in Romanian
Republica Democrată Congo are probleme cu rebelii M23. România a trimis mercenari să ajute armata congoleză. Rebelii au capturat mercenari români. Oamenii câștigă mult mai bine decât soldații congolezi. Ministerul de Externe al României încearcă să-i elibereze. Situația din Goma este tensionată . Mercenarii au condiții de lucru proaste. Problemele sunt complicate de politica regională.
Translation
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing issues with the M23 rebels. Romania has sent mercenaries to assist the Congolese army. The rebels have captured Romanian mercenaries. People are earning significantly more than the Congolese soldiers. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is attempting to secure their release. The situation in Goma is tense. The mercenaries are working under poor conditions. The problems are further complicated by regional politics.
Exercise: Text comprehension
Question 1: Who is trying to help the Congolese army with the rebel problem?
Romanian mercenaries are trying to help the Congolese army.
Question 2: What problem is the Romanian Foreign Ministry trying to solve?
The Romanian Foreign Ministry is trying to free the captured mercenaries.
Exercise: Vocabulary
Read the full story
▌02/02/2025
The Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing struggle against the M23 rebels has seen a new chapter with the involvement and recent capture of Romanian mercenaries, employed to assist the Congolese army. Contracted through the Romanian-led Association RALF, these former soldiers, some previously part of the French Foreign Legion, found themselves in a high-stakes situation amid the volatile security landscape in the eastern Congo.
According to reports from BBC and other outlets, the Romanian mercenaries were engaged to bolster the Congolese armed forces against the M23 rebels—a group that claims to protect the Tutsi ethnic minority's rights in the region. Their employment terms revealed a salary of about $5,000 per month, which starkly contrasts the mere $100 some Congolese soldiers typically earn, highlighting the complex economic incentives at play.
The situation escalated when the M23 rebels, reportedly supported by advanced military capabilities from Rwanda, mounted an offensive on Goma, a critical city near the Rwanda-Congo border. As the Congolese national army retreated from the battlefield, the Romanian mercenaries sought refuge within a UN peacekeeping base.
Romanian Mercenaries Captured in Congo Clash (Illustration)
Reports of their capture highlight a dramatic scene where, upon being escorted to the border by M23 rebels, the mercenaries were subjected to public inspections and verbal reprimands by M23’s commander, Willy Ngoma. A video circulating in the media captured Ngoma confronting one of the Romanians about his military background, emphasizing the considerable wage difference between them and local recruits.
The overall strategy utilized by the Congolese army appears fragmented, involving multiple foreign and local ally groups with overlapping command structures. International Crisis Group experts like Richard Moncrief suggest that these convoluted arrangements hinder effective combat strategies against the rebels.
Further scrutiny surrounds the Romanians' deployment, as former mercenaries report inadequate operational conditions and mismatched personnel backgrounds, raising concerns about the recruitment practices and the viability of such mercenary involvement in conflict zones.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry has engaged in intricate negotiations to secure the release and safe passage of their nationals, describing them as contractors on a military training mission. Meanwhile, broader questions linger about the strategic use of private military personnel in such unstable settings, especially with the specter of regional politics casting a shadow over military operations in North Kivu.
Info: "Romanian Learner News" is a service from "Let's Learn Romanian", a language school dedicated to helping individuals learn Romanian online. We offer a variety of online courses tailored to different levels and learning needs.
