Romanian Soldiers on Parental Leave Worked as Mercenaries in Congo, Ministry Reveals
According to reports, several Romanian military personnel who were on paternity leave traveled to Congo to work as mercenaries. statement from the Department of National Defense.
The topic of active soldiers engaging in mercenary activities initially surfaced on the public radar following PressOne reported on Romanian troops hired by Horatiu Potra. A previous mercenary himself, Potra has since transitioned to this new role. wanted fugitive charged by the prosecution with orchestrating demonstrations against the constitutional framework. Potra additionally offered protection to pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu.
Following the publication of these discoveries in the press, official inquiries were initiated. In late February, Minister of National Defense Angel Tîlvăr called for an extensive probe. This was to determine whether serving members of the Ministry of National Defense—who had been provisionally removed from duty—had participated in operations alongside private Romanian security firms working within the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The investigation found that 466 reservists from the Ministry of National Defense entered into agreements with security firms active in the Democratic Republic of Congo for different durations following their retirement.
"As stated by the ministry, up until now, no active-duty service members on unpaid leave under Article 14 of Law No. 80 from July 11, 1995, which outlines the conditions of military personnel, have been found to travel to the D.R. Congo during their time off to work with private security firms," they clarified.
Nevertheless, when the inquiry was expanded to include various types of leaves, investigators discovered that seven serving soldiers—including two NCOs and five career soldiers—traveled to Congo under false pretenses while they were supposedly on legal paternal leave for children aged up to two years. These individuals worked for security firms during this period. Between 2023 and early 2025, all seven made trips to Congo. Currently, three remain on purported paternity leave, whereas the remaining four have rejoined their respective units.
The investigation into one out of the seven soldiers has been concluded, resulting in a report submitted to the Military Prosecutor's Office. Similar procedures will be carried out for the rest of the soldiers. Additionally, disciplinary and administrative steps have been launched, awaiting the Military Prosecutor’s determination regarding the legal categorization of their infractions.
An additional 24 soldiers were reinstated by the Romanian Army after they had resigned from the MApN to participate in the conflict in Congo, as stated in the report.
"Even though their return doesn’t present major national security concerns because these individuals occupy low-level roles with limited exposure to sensitive information, the Ministry has put individualized verification and surveillance procedures in place. Further steps will be considered based on requirements," the statement read.
Furthermore, 14 instances were found involving reservist soldiers who previously served in the D.R. Congo and subsequently volunteered as reservists between 2020 and 2024.
radu@romania-insider.com
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