A group of more than 280 European mercenaries, mostly Romanians, who had been fighting alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) army (FARDC) against the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo, were granted safe passage through Rwanda to return to their home countries. They arrived in Rwanda on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 29, 2025, after being defeated by the M23 rebel group, which recently took control of Goma City. The mercenaries, affiliated with RALF, a private military company based in Romania, had been supporting FARDC in its fight against M23 since 2022. When M23 liberated G

A group of more than 280 European mercenaries, mostly Romanians, who had been fighting alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) army (FARDC) against the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo, were granted safe passage through Rwanda to return to their home countries. They arrived in Rwanda on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 29, 2025, after being defeated by the M23 rebel group, which recently took control of Goma City. The mercenaries, affiliated with RALF, a private military company based in Romania, had been supporting FARDC in its fight against M23 since 2022. When M23 liberated Goma City on Monday, the mercenaries were forced to surrender to MONUSCO peacekeepers. On Wednesday, they were granted safe passage through Rwanda to facilitate their return home from Goma. They now join thousands of others fleeing the conflict, whom the Rwandan government has allowed to pass through the Grande Barrière border. This includes nearly 2,000 United Nations personnel and their families, as well as at least 40 World Bank employees. It is expected that they will depart for their home countries via Kigali International Airport.

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