Romanian investor kidnapped in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is safe

April 11, 2005

A Romanian been found and declared safe, according to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Romanian, which has as of yet only been identified by his last name, Dinca, had been kidnapped by soldiers dressed as civilians.

Dinca was the president of Mega Star Congo Company, a Romanian enterprise operating in the DRC. After his kidnapping, one of his employees said that his boss had been kidnapped by military subordinates of a Congolese general who had been watching and following Dinca for the previous two weeks. Other employees confirmed this, saying that Dinca had been watched by groups of soldiers in his home at Gombe. The Romanian Foreign Ministry said that the kidnapping has occurred due to a "private commercial dispute."

Le Phare, a Congolese newspaper, reported that, "This kidnapping, which undermines the actions of the head of state and members of the government members, raises a big question mark, both for the authorities and for the army commanders. If the insecurity is due to the soldiers, it is worrying that such a climate is maintained by superior officers and generals."

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that they would continue to try and protect Romanian businessmen who invest in the DRC and prevent similar incidents in the future.