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Kuwait Times
26-05-2025
- Health
- Kuwait Times
Gabon longs to cash in on sacred hallucinogenic remedy
Beneath yellow fruit, hidden within the roots of the iboga plant in the forests of Gabon, lies a sacred treasure that the country is keen to make the most of. For centuries, religious devotees have eaten it -- a psychotropic shrub that users say has addiction-fighting powers. It fascinates foreign visitors, psychiatric patients and rich pharmaceutical companies that want to market it. Now this central African country, where its use is enshrined in ancestral tradition, is scrambling to avoid missing out on the boom. Teddy Van Bonda Ndong, 31, an initiate in the Bwiti spiritual tradition, calls it 'sacred wood'. He consumes it in small amounts daily, he said, for his 'mental and physical health'. 'It has a lot of power to help human beings,' added Stephen Windsor-Clive, a 68-year-old retiree. 'It's untapped. A mysterious force lies within this plant.' He travelled to Gabon from Britain and consumed iboga -- in a powder ground from its roots -- during a 10-day Bwiti ceremony. He tried it with a view to adopting it as a treatment for his daughter, who suffers from mental illness. Economic potential Given the interest, Gabon is seeking to channel the plant onto the international marketplace. Exports of iboga products, including its active ingredient ibogaine, are few and strictly regulated in the country. It grows mostly in the wild, but 'more and more effort is being made to domesticate the plant', said Florence Minko, an official in the forestry ministry. Potentially toxic in high doses, ibogaine can have effects similar to LSD, mescaline or amphetamines, and cause anxiety and hallucinations. A general view of a jar filled with finely ground iboga powder displayed in Akanda. An initiated member of Bwiti responds during an interview on their spiritual experience and the central role of iboga in Bwiti in Ndossy Village, Akanda. A woman holds the Ghessandza, a traditional instrument, in Ndossy Village, Akanda. A player of the moungongo, a traditional Gabonese harp, and a player of the Ngoma, a traditional drum, perform during the ceremony in Ndossy Village, Akanda. An initiated participant extracts the iboga root in Ndossy Village, Akanda. But users believe it can help drug addicts kick their habit and treat post-traumatic stress and neurological illnesses. Yoan Mboussou, a local microbiologist and Bwiti initiate, hopes to gain an export licence for the 500-milligram ibogaine capsules he produces at his laboratory near the capital Libreville. He sells them in Gabon as a food supplement, declaring them to have 'anti-fatigue, antioxidant and anti-addictive' qualities. Iboga, he believes, 'is a potential lever to develop the economy and the whole country'. Tradition and IP Countries such as the United States and France class iboga as a narcotic because of health risks identified in studies, especially heart issues. But it is used in treatment centers in countries including the Netherlands, Mexico and Portugal. Numerous studies have examined its effects -- both helpful and harmful -- and scientists have taken out dozens of international patents for ibogaine therapeutic treatments. 'Most of those are based on studies of iboga use by Gabonese people, particularly by Bwiti practitioners,' said Yann Guignon, from the Gabonese conservation group Blessings Of The Forest. Despite the plant's 'colossal therapeutic benefits', 'Gabon is clearly missing out on the economic potential of iboga,' he added. 'It did not position itself in this market in time by developing productive iboga plantations, a national processing laboratory and a proper industrial policy.' Overseas laboratories meanwhile have worked out how to make synthetic ibogaine and to extract it from other plants, such as Voacanga africana. That flowering tree is available in greater quantities in Ghana and Mexico, which 'can produce ibogaine at unbeatable prices', said Guignon. A man holds the freshly harvested iboga root and prepares to hand it to one of the initiated participants during the second stage of The Call of the Sacred Wood ceremony. A woman peels the sacred root during the second stage of The Call of the Sacred Wood ceremony. A man shows the iboga root after being carefully pounded into fine powder as part of the Sacred Call of the Sacred Wood ceremony. A man consume the sacred powder from a tablespoon, following the transformation of the iboga root into powder as part of the ongoing Call of the Sacred Wood ceremony. A man peels the iboga root during the Sacred Call of the Sacred Wood ceremony. And 'Gabonese traditional knowledge is not protected by intellectual property regulations.' Currently only one company in Gabon has a licence to export iboga products -- though Minko, from the forestry ministry, said the country hopes this number will rise in the coming years. She said companies were likely to produce more, spurred by revenue guarantees under the Nagoya Protocol, an international agreement on biological diversity and resource-sharing. She wants the country to obtain a 'made in Gabon' certificate of origin for iboga. 'This is a huge resource for Gabon. We have drawn up a national strategy for the conservation and sustainable use of the product,' she said. 'Gatherings will soon be organized, bringing together all the groups concerned: NGOs, traditional practitioners and scientists.' Soothing properties After harvesting iboga to the sound of traditional harps and consuming it in the initiation ceremony, Stephen Windsor-Clive was convinced by the benefits of iboga. 'I definitely want to bring my daughter here and have her have the experience,' he said. 'This is my last attempt to find something which might be of assistance to her.' Another visitor, Tafara Kennedy Chinyere, travelled from Zimbabwe to discover Gabon and found, in the initiation, relief from anxiety and his 'inner demons'. 'I feel good in my body, in myself,' he said, sitting under a tree after the ceremony. 'I feel like the iboga helped me to let go of things that you no longer need in your life.' — AFP
The Citizen
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Local muso set to perform at festivals in Zimbabwe and Malawi
Local muso set to perform at festivals in Zimbabwe and Malawi Western Extension hip-hop artist Siphesihle Ngoma, aka Dynastee King, will spread his artistry beyond the South African borders when he performs in two festivals that celebrate African arts and culture in Zimbabwe and Malawi. The muso will perform in the Hurungwe Arts Festival in Karoi, Zimbabwe, from July 25 to 27 and will jet off to Malawi to perform in the UMP Festival from October 21 to 27. Ngoma started writing music in 2018 and takes inspiration from hip-hop heads like Kwesta and Nasty C. He said performing at both these events will elevate him to new heights and help him network with various artists from across the continent. 'It will mean a lot because I never performed outside the country. It will be a blessing,' he said. 'Both festivals represent incredible opportunities to showcase my work, connect with fellow artists, and engage with diverse audiences. The Hurungwe Arts Festival honours and promotes various forms of artistic expression, while the UMP Festival celebrates cultural diversity through music and arts,' he added. The independent artist needs financial help to travel to both events. He needs around R30 000 to cover his expenses. 'As an independent artist, I face financial constraints that challenge my ability to cover the travel and accommodation costs associated with participating in these significant events. 'Receiving financial assistance will ease the financial burden and enable me to immerse myself in both festivals, where I hope to network, learn and promote my work. Participation in these events is vital for my artistic growth and will significantly enhance my exposure as an artist.' To help Ngoma, contact him on 073 434 5087 or Dynast33bookings@ for more information. Also Read: Local artist tells his story through hip-hop Also Read: Daveyton hip-hop artist encourages others to work hard At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Aubrey Ngoma's essential advice for footballers — get married
Settle down, says Ngoma Former SuperSport United star Aubrey Ngoma has urged football players to settle down with a partner in order to help them deal with the stress that comes with the career. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/AFP Image: Muzi Ntombela/AFP Former Cape Town City and Mamelodi Sundowns star Aubrey Ngoma has offered some advice to football players who can sometimes fall to the temptations that come with fame. In a 15-year career, Ngoma played for some of the biggest clubs in South Africa, including Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United, and retired at the end of the 2022/23 season. Speaking to Jabu Mahlangu on the Jabu Mahlangu & Diski Shandis podcast on YouTube, Ngoma advised players to settle down in relationships, saying his partner was there to support him in stressful situations. 'She played a massive role in keeping me grounded and level-headed, saying 'Things might not be going well at work for you but we support you. We believe you are not a bad player overnight. Just because they don't play you now, you know what you have achieved over the years. Continue going to work, do what you have to do and when you come back, we are here and we will support you fully',' Ngoma added. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. According to Ngoma, his wife was a pillar of strength for him when he wasn't playing regularly at Sundowns, where he moved to in 2018 after two stellar seasons with Cape Town City. 'My partner told me to wake up, put my smile on and go to work and do the job. People will say they don't understand how someone who has money can be depressed. 'Us as footballers, the only thing that makes us happy is playing football, that is where we forget everything. Imagine where you are supposed to forget everything is where you get all the problem. 'It is difficult but I thank my wife a lot. She and my first born were there when I was going through a tough period when I was at Sundowns and they gave me a lot of strength to continue.' Because of the support he received from his wife, Ngoma urged other footballers to settle down to help them deal with the pitfalls that come with being a celebrity and a professional footballer in South Africa. 'A guy who does not live with his partner may face challenges because you can receive a call any time, go out and dance and come back in the morning, change your clothes and go dance again the whole weekend because you live alone, no one is going to call you into order,' Ngoma said. 'You don't have anyone to report to, whereas when you live with your partner, you won't go the whole weekend without your wife/girlfriend not knowing where you are. 'A lot of guys need to consider that because as much as we as guys like to have our own fun and our own time, but a house without a wife has no stability most of the time. Women bring stability. As gents, we might argue and fight about it but the truth must be told.' IOL Sport Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
BBC News
31-01-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Why well paid Romania mercenaries wey DR Congo hire to fight dey surrender
Dis week na humiliating week for nearly 300 Romanian mercenaries wey dem recruit to fight on di side of di army of di Democratic Republic of Congo. Dia surrender come afta one rebel attack on di eastern city of Goma don also shatter di dreams of those wey sign up for di job to earn big money. Di BBC don see contracts wey show say dem dey pay these hired sojas around $5,000 (£4,000) per month, while regular military recruits dey receive around $100, or sometimes dem no go even pay dem. DR Congo bin contract di Romanians to help dia army fight di Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, wey say dem dey fight to protect di rights of DR Congo minority ethnic Tutsis. Wen di attack on Goma bin start on Sunday night, di Romanians dey forced to go hide for one UN peacekeeping base. "Troops and and state-of-di-art military equipment from Rwanda bin support di M23 rebels and dem manage to reach our positions around di city of Goma," Constantin Timofti, wey dem describe as co-ordinator for di group, tell Romanian TVR channel on Monday. "Di national army stop to dey fight and we dey forced to withdraw." Romania foreign ministry tok-tok pesin Andrei Țărnea tell BBC say "complex" negotiations follow, wey see as di M23 hand ova di Romanian fighters – wey e describe as private employees of di DR Congo goment on army training mission - to Rwanda. Goma siddon right on di border wit Rwanda – and tori pipo feem di mercenaries as dem cross over and surrender to body searches and oda checks. Bifor dem cross over, phone footage show as M23 commander Willy Ngoma dey tok down on one of di Romanians in French, e tell am to sit on di ground, cross im legs and put im hands ova im head. E ask am about im military training – I train wit di French Foreign Legion, di Romanian reply. "Dem recruit you wit salary of $8,000 per month, you eat well," Ngoma shout, as e point out di difference between dia money and dat of Congolese army recruit salary. "We dey fight for our future. No come for adventure here," e warn. E no dey clear where Ngoma dey get di $8,000 figure, but di contract wey one former Romanian mercenary show di BBC for October show "strictly confidential remuneration" for senior personnel wey start at $5,000 per month during active duty and $3,000 during periods of leave. Di agreement outline "indefinite period" of service, and contractors dey scheduled to take one-month break afta every three months of deployment. I meet di ex-mercenary for Romania capital, Bucharest, wen I go investigate Asociatia RALF, wey one group of UN experts say na Romanian enterprise wit "ex-Romanians from diFrench Foreign Legion". Na Horațiu Potra, one Romanian wey describe himself as military instructor. For June while in Goma, I bin notice those kain mercenaries for checkpoints and di ones dem deploy around di city, dem dey work closely wit di army. Ova di last three years, many pipo don report say dem dey see di Congolese troops dey drive wit army vehicles. "Wen dem land, everybody dey call dem Russian," Fiston Mahamba, co-founder of disinformation group Check Congo, told the BBC. "I bin think say dem dey connected to Russian mercenary group, Wagner say dia presence dey for several African countries." In fact, Asociatia RALF fit also work across Africa – dia contract show say dem get various "operational locations", wey include "Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Guinea". UN experts say dem bring these two private military companies d to bolster its forces in 2022, not long after the M23 had regrouped and begun capturing territory in North Kivu. Di province don dey unstable for decades and plenty militias dey operate for there, dey make money from dia minerals like gold and coltan – dem dey use make batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones. Di first firm DR Congo sign up na Agemira RDC, wey Olivier Bazin, one French-Congolese national dey head. Di experts say di company employ Bulgarian, Belarusian, Georgian, Algerian, French and Congolese nationals. Dia work na to renovate and increase DR Congo military air assets, renovate airports and ensure di physical security of aircraft plus oda strategic locations. Di second contract wey dem sign na between Congo Protection, one Congolese company wey Thierry Kongolo dey represent, and Asociatia RALF. According to UN experts, di contract show say Asociatia RALF get expertise and extensive experience for di provision of security management services. Dem go provide training and instruction to di Congolese troops on di ground through contingent of 300 instructors, many of dem Romanians. Wen I follow Oga Potra tok for July about di extent of im group involvement on di ground and weda dem follow for di fight, e say: "We gatz protect ourselves. If M23 attack us, dem no go say: 'Oh, una just be instructors - go house'." Oga Potra bin dey very active during di DR Congo mission until a few months ago wen e go back Romania - and dey for wrapped for controversy for di middle of di cancelled presidential election there. Dem dramatically arrest am for December, and e deny providing security for di pro-Russian, far-right candidate Călin Georgescu. And since October, e don refuse to return di BBC calls. Di ex-mercenary, wey dey im his late forties and follow BBC tok on condition of anonymity, tok say im bin resign becos im dey unhappy on how Asociatia RALF deu operate. E say di Romanians do plenty things on ground for North Kivu province: "Only very few of us be trainers. "We dey work long shifts of up to 12 hours, dey guard key positions outside Goma." E maintain say di money no worth di risks di military contractors gatz take. "Missions dey disorganised, working conditions poor. Make Romanians stop dey go there becos e dey dangerous." E also claim say dem no do proper background checks, and some of di Romanian recruits no get military training – e use di example of one of im former colleagues wey be firefighter. DR Congo government neva reply to BBC request for comment on weda dem carry out background checks, or about di pay disparity between di private contractors and Congolese troops. Di family of Vasile Badea, one of two Romanians wey die last February wen M23 fighters ambush one army convoy wey dey on dia way to Sake, one frontline town near Goma, tell BBC say na police officer im be. Di 46-year-old bin take sabbatical from di force and take up di role for DR Congo sake of di beta salary offer. Di policeman bin dey struggle to pay for one apartment e just get and need money to pay for am. Many more Romanians bin dey lured sake of di prospect of a well-paid job. I meet one man for Bucharest for October, who go back im kontri dey find more recruits to go to Goma. E get military background and don do Nato tours for Afghanistan wit di Romanian army. "We dey very busy trying to find 800 pipo wey need to dey mentally prepared for di job and sabi how to fight," di mercenary recruiter tell BBC. E say im no work for Asociatia RALF, and no gree tok which outfit e dey work wit. "Dem dey place di recruits for positions wey correspond to di level of dia training, ande dem dey earn between $400-$550 per day," e explain. Wen dem ask am about di recruitment process, e say e dey confidential. "Dem no dey publish dis kain work anywhere," e tok, and add say na on networks like WhatsApp you go see am. E show me one WhatsApp group where more dan 300 Romanians don sign up, many of dem be ex-military personnel. For June last year, Rwanda government tok-tok pesin Yolande Makolo bin kick against di presence of mercenaries for eastern DR Congo, e say na violation of di Geneva Conventions, wey prohibit di use of hired combatants. In response, Congolese government tok-tok pesin Patrick Muyaya dismiss wetin e call Rwanda perennial complaint. "We get some instructors wey dey come train our military forces becos we know say we get urgent situation," e tell BBC. But one Congolese soja wey I meet for June express dia disappointment ova di army strategy. "Di pay dey unfair. Wen e come to fighting, na us dem dey send go di front lines first," e tell BBC on condition of anonymity. "Dem [di mercenaries] dey only come as back-up." E confam say im pay na around $100 a month, but e no dey come on time or make dem no pay at all. I follow am tok last week ago, and e confam say im stll dey stationed for Kibati, near Goma, where di army get base. "Things dey very bad," e tok for one voice note to me. I no fit reach out to am since then - and M23 don take ova di base since and kill many sojas, including dia commander. Observers say di quick fall of Goma point to DR Congo fractured defence strategy, where overlapping forces plus blurred lines of command later fall into di hands of M23. Richard Moncrief, International Crisis Group project director for di Great Lakes, say mercenaries, di Congolese army work wit troops from di Southern African Development Community (Sadc), one local militia wey dey known as Wazalendo, plus sojas from Burundi also lead to di fall. "E create situation wia e dey impossible to plan military attack wen chain of command and responsibility dey messed up," e tell BBC. "I think say e dey important to work towards far greater coherence in di armed effort for North Kivu, probably reduce di number of armed groups or armed actors on di ground." For di ex-mercenary, di fate of im former Romanian colleagues no come as surprise. "Poor command lead to failure," e tell BBC.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DR Congo's failed gamble on Romanian mercenaries
It has been a humiliating week for nearly 300 Romanian mercenaries recruited to fight on the side of the army in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their surrender following a rebel assault on the eastern city of Goma has also shattered the dreams of those who signed up for the job to earn big money. The BBC has seen contracts that show that these hired soldiers were being paid around $5,000 (£4,000) a month, while regular military recruits get around $100, or sometimes go unpaid. The Romanians were contracted to help the army fight the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who say they are fighting to protect the rights of DR Congo's minority ethnic Tutsis. When the offensive on Goma started on Sunday night, the Romanians were forced to take refuge at a UN peacekeeping base. "The M23 rebels were supported by troops and state-of-the-art military equipment from Rwanda and managed to reach our positions around the city of Goma," Constantin Timofti, described as a co-ordinator for the group, told Romanian TVR channel on Monday. "The national army gave up fighting and we were forced to withdraw." Romania's foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Țărnea told the BBC that "complex" negotiations followed, which saw the M23 hand over the Romanian fighters - whom he described as private employees of the DR Congo government on an army training mission - to Rwanda. Goma sits right on the border with Rwanda - and the mercenaries were filmed by journalists as they crossed over, surrendering to body searches and other checks. Before they crossed over, phone footage shows M23 commander Willy Ngoma berating one of the Romanians in French, telling him to sit on the ground, cross his legs and put his hands over his head. He asked him about his military training - it was with the French Foreign Legion, the Romanian replied. "They recruited you with a salary of $8,000 a month, you eat well," Ngoma yelled, pointing out the disparity between that and a Congolese army recruit's pay. "We are fighting for our future. Do not come for adventure here," he warned. It is not clear where Ngoma got the $8,000 figure, but the contract shown to the BBC by a former Romanian mercenary in October detailed that "strictly confidential remuneration" for senior personnel started at $5,000 per month during active duty and $3,000 during periods of leave. The agreement outlines an "indefinite period" of service, with contractors scheduled to take a one-month break after every three months of deployment. I had met the ex-mercenary in Romania's capital, Bucharest, where I had gone to investigate Asociatia RALF, which a group of UN experts say is a Romanian enterprise with "ex-Romanians from the French Foreign Legion". It is headed by Horațiu Potra, a Romanian who describes himself as a military instructor. In June while in Goma, I had noticed such mercenaries at checkpoints and deployed around the city, working closely with army. Over the last three years, others have reported seeing them driving Congolese troops in army vehicles. "When they arrived, everyone referred to them as Russian," Fiston Mahamba, co-founder of disinformation group Check Congo, told the BBC. "I think this was linked to the Russian mercenary group, Wagner with presence in several African countries." In fact, Asociatia RALF may also work across Africa - its contract stipulated that it had various "operational locations", including "Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Guinea". The UN experts say that two private military companies were brought on board to bolster its forces in 2022, not long after the M23 had regrouped and begun capturing territory in North Kivu. The province has been unstable for decades with numerous militias operating there making money from its minerals like gold and coltan - used to make batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones. The first firm that was signed up was Agemira RDC, headed by Olivier Bazin, a French-Congolese national. The experts say the company employed Bulgarian, Belarusian, Georgian, Algerian, French and Congolese nationals. This outfit was tasked with refurbishing and increasing DR Congo's military air assets, rehabilitating airports and ensuring the physical security of aircraft and other strategic locations. A second contract was signed between Congo Protection, a Congolese company represented by Thierry Kongolo, and Asociatia RALF. According to the UN experts, the contract specified that Asociatia RALF had expertise and extensive experience in the provision of security management services. It would provide training and instruction to the Congolese troops on the ground by means of a contingent of 300 instructors, many of them Romanians. When I spoke to Mr Potra in July about the extent of his group's involvement on the ground and whether it had engaged in fighting, he said: "We have to protect ourselves. If M23 attacks us, they won't simply say: 'Oh, you're just instructors - go home'." Mr Potra was hands-on during the DR Congo mission until a few months ago when he returned to Romania - and has since been embroiled in a controversy amid the annulled presidential election there. He was dramatically arrested in December and has since denied providing security for the pro-Russian, far-right candidate Călin Georgescu. And since October, he has refused to return the BBC's calls. The ex-mercenary, who was in his late forties and spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said he had resigned because he was unhappy about how Asociatia RALF was operating. He said the Romanians did much more on the ground in North Kivu province: "Only a very small number of us were actually trainers. "We worked long shifts of up to 12 hours, guarding key positions outside Goma." He maintained the pay was not worth the risks the military contractors had to take. "Missions were disorganised, working conditions poor. Romanians should stop going there because it's dangerous." He also claimed that proper background checks had not been done, and some of the Romanian recruits had no military training - citing as an example that one of his former colleagues was a firefighter. DR Congo's government has not replied to a BBC request for comment on whether background checks were carried out, or about the pay disparity between the private contractors and Congolese troops. The family of Vasile Badea, one of two Romanians who were killed last February when an army convoy was ambushed by the M23 fighters on its way to Sake, a frontline town near Goma, told the BBC he had been a police officer. The 46-year-old had taken a sabbatical from the force and took up the role in DR Congo because of the lucrative salary offer. The policeman was struggling to pay for an apartment he had just acquired and needed more money. Many more Romanians were lured by the prospects of a well-paid job. I met one man in Bucharest in October, who was back home looking for more recruits to go to Goma. He had a military background and had done Nato tours in Afghanistan with the Romanian army. "We are very busy trying to find 800 people who need to be mentally prepared for the job and know how to fight," the mercenary recruiter told the BBC. He said he did not work for Asociatia RALF, but refused to say which outfit he was with. "The recruits will be placed in positions corresponding to the level of their training, earning between $400-$550 per day," he explained. When asked about the recruitment process, he emphasised its confidentiality. "Such jobs are not published anywhere," he said, adding that networks like WhatsApp were preferred. He showed me a WhatsApp group where more than 300 Romanians had signed up, many of whom were ex-military personnel. In June last year, Rwanda's government spokesperson Yolande Makolo hit out about the presence of mercenaries in eastern DR Congo, saying it was a violation of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit the use of hired combatants. In response, Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya dismissed what he called Rwanda's perennial complaint. "We have some instructors who come to train our military forces because we know we have this urgent situation," he told the BBC. But a Congolese soldier I met in June expressed his dismay over the army's strategy. "The pay is unfair. When it comes to fighting, we are the ones sent to the front lines first," he told the BBC on condition of anonymity. "They [the mercenaries] only come as back-up." He confirmed his pay was set at around $100 a month but was often delayed or unpaid altogether. I was last in contact with him a week ago when he confirmed he was still stationed in Kibati, near Goma, where the army has a base. "Things are very bad," he said in a voice note to me. I have not been able to get hold of him since - and the Kibati base has since been overrun by the M23 with many soldiers killed, including his commander. Observers say the quick fall of Goma points to DR Congo's fractured defence strategy, where overlapping forces and blurred lines of command have ultimately played into the hands of M23. Richard Moncrief, International Crisis Group's project director for the Great Lakes, points out that as well as mercenaries, the Congolese army works with troops from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), a local militia known as Wazalendo, as well as soldiers from Burundi. "It creates a situation where it's impossible to plan military offences where chain of command and responsibility is muddied," he told the BBC. "I think that it's important to work towards far greater coherence in the armed effort in North Kivu, probably involving a reduction in the number of armed groups or armed actors on the ground." For the ex-mercenary, the fate of his former Romanian colleagues has not come as a surprise. "Poor command leads to failure," he told the BBC. What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo South Africa and Rwanda go head-to-head over DR Congo war Go to for more news from the African continent. 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