A group of Romanian mercenaries, reportedly contracted by the government, are stranded in the city of Goma, in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This comes amid a major offensive by the rebel group M23, which has backing from Rwanda and has now deployed its army on the border with Congo.
According to Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Romanians were employed by Horațiu Potra, an associate of pro-Russian politician Călin Georgescu, and sent to Goma to establish government control.
The ministry has issued a travel advisory for the area and is in constant contact with UN bodies and authorities in Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda.
The situation on the ground is extremely volatile, with gunfire heard in Goma on Monday and thousands of people fleeing as the rebels advanced.
The rebels have ordered government soldiers to surrender, and 100 Congolese soldiers have handed over their weapons to Uruguayan troops from the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo.
The conflict in Congo has been ongoing since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, with around 100 armed groups operating in the country.
UN experts report that Rwanda has deployed 3,000-4,000 soldiers to support M23, which claims to defend Tutsis in Congo.
In response, Congo has severed its diplomatic ties with Rwanda.
