The group of 288 men who came through the gate of arrival at Bucharest Henry Konda International Airport on the evening of 1 February, did not see anything like fighters. With an air of necklace and even derogatory, he left waiting waiting journalists for their families who warmly congratulated him.
Following a sharp round of international talks, Thesis Romanian citizens were thrown out of the struggle area around Goma city in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
They reached the “Military Airbase 90” near the Civil Airport in the Romanian capital on a chartered airbus.
Each one check – which was referred to as “epidemiology filters” – and interviewed by Romanian security and secret services before entering the airport’s arrival hall.
They were all belonging to a group of mercenaries run by Horatu Potra.
Comparison with Yevgeny Prigozhin
The 55 -year -old Romanian citizen, Potra, came with the prominence of both inside and outside Romania in early 2023, in addition to other things as a result of the investigation conducted by several international media outlets.
It was seen as a version of Romania of Yevgeni Prerigozin (Russian Founder of Private Militia Wagner Group), Potra started having many things since the early 1990s, including French foreign army, a bodyguard, security contractor, military trainers and Leaders of mercenary groups in Africa and Arab world.
In the late 2024, Potra made headlines in his original Romania, resulting in his close left to far-flung extremist Callin Georoscu, which was in the first round of the country’s presidential election.
Romanian officials alleged that Potra and Georgesku were planning a coup. Now, more and more suspected activities are coming to light.
Active in DRC
Many people of Potra were caught by the Tutasi-Nedi militia, known as M23 during the ongoing military conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There are many videos on social media that show the theme stogue transferred from Eastern Congoless city Goma to Rwanda.
A clear conversation was held by a team working in the United Nations Mission to return to Romania. The Romanian Foreign Ministry is involved in his return. A ministry spokesman refused to provide DW with any details.
Equality for Wagner Group
For some time, the men of Potra were known as “Russians” in DRC.
The Congoles saw all the white European soldiers as mercenaries working for the Russian Wagner Group, which was a private army established by Yavageni Prerigozin, who was killed in a plane crash in Russia in August 2023.
The Wagner Group was active in many African countries. Since the death of Prigozhin, most groups have been integrated into the structures of the Russian army.
Instructor, bodyguard and security contractor
But Horatu Potra, who also has a physical equality for prigosine, launched his group of mercenaries known as Ralph, “for Romanians who served in the French Foreigon Legion.”
Potra was a member of the French foreign forces in the 1990s and later worked as a bodyguard for various political and military leaders in the Middle East and Africa.
Hey worked as a trainer for special soldiers and protected the Romanian Basinepas gems and diamond mines in African countries including Romanian-Australian mining billionaire Vasil Frank Timis.
Hire leader
For an agreement for an article published on the search website Presson in December 2024, Potra launched the Romanian mercenary troops for DRC in 2022.
The first group of thesis hire, known as “Romeos”, built only under 100 men, who worked with the protecting the airport in the Kangoli capital of Kinshasa and training with government troops.
Some of them, like Potra, were members of the French foreign army. For Presson, however, he recruited Romania’s state security services and members of the ministries, offering them better income than coming back home.
Link to Russian Embassy in Romania
Potra already had a brush with the Romanian judiciary, before he was known to go against the public.
The Directorate of Romania investigated the 2010/11 on suspicion of drug-trafficking and gun to investigate organized crime and diicot and other officials. Hey, however, the founder of the illegal occupation of the firearms.
So far, no evidence of the link between Potra and Wagner Group has been found. According to Berlin Daily Newspaper FreshnessHowever, Potra is said to have recycled the bodyguard from Moscow in 2016 from Moscow to Fauthin Taudera, who was elected President of the Middle African Republic that year.
Potra Himfael does not make any secret of her good relationships with the Russian Embassy in Bucharest. Russia may be sea on several photographs of the incidents in the embassy even after Russia launched its all-out war against Ukraine.
under investigation
In early December 2024, Potra was arrested while driving for Bucharest. Officials found that the car was traveling knives, other weapons, radio equipment and a telescope in Potra’s trunk.
Officials alleged that he was traveling to the Romanian capital to create unrest two days before the election.
Potra has been under investigation in Romania since then. Hey, however, released from custody on the condition that he reports to the police.
After his release, Potra created a series of bizarre and inconsistent statements, including an assurance that as long as senior police officers were arresting people like him and “Globus’ servants”, not, nothing changes in the country. Will go and want to go to war in “our children” Ukraine. ,
He directed against his former physics teacher against President Klaus Iohanis, who stood as the head of the state of Romania on Wednesday, said he said he was ready to do a mechanical test again to the physics teacher in Bucharests. Which had failed. “
This article was the original published in German and was adapted by Angle Flagon.
