Zaire - The Promised Land

Serbia isn’t at war but some Serbs seem to be. "The planes that bombed villages in eastern Zaire were flown by Serb mercenaries," Agence France Press reported from Kishangani. "Every morning, Yugoslav planes piloted by Ukrainians take off early in the morning from the central Zaire airport at Kishangani," Madrid daily El Pais said and added: "There’s a group of tattooed Serbs at the airport, with their heads shaved, training an elite Zairian unit in operating machine-guns and mortars which Serbia exported to the country." Reports of Serb mercenaries fighting in the civil war in Zaire were carried by virtually all the media in the world over the past few weeks. Those reports said that dictator Mobutu Sese Seko has at least several hundred combat veterans from the Bosnian Serb Republic (RS) and former Republic of Serb Krajina (RSK) fighting for him.

The FRY foreign ministry felt compelled to respond and issued a statement denying any involvement by "bodies and institutions of the FRY in military deliveries and the sending of military personnel to the sides in the conflict in Zaire". "These are insinuations and attempts to damage the reputation and interests of the FRY at a time when it is engaging all its efforts in strengthening the peace and stability of its surroundings," the statement said. Additional explanations came from semi-official military affairs commentator Miroslav Lazanski. He seemed to be distancing himself from something in his article in Vecernje Novosti daily: "There is no practical or theoretical possibility of any country controlling the activities of its individual citizens when they leave the country legally with passports," he said and added that he personally met young Yugoslavs serving with the Foreign Legion in Chad, Djibouti and Kuwait.

A number of VREME sources in the RS confirmed that the Bosnian and Krajina Serbs were being recruited and that at least two hundred volunteers had gone to Africa. "It’s true, our boys are going there. I know of six for sure," one source from Brcko said. The sources said the trip to Zaire is organized, taking the volunteers by bus from Bratunac to Belgrade airport where they climb aboard charter flights or in some cases military transports. That indicates that "FRY bodies and institutions" can’t be totally uninvolved in what’s going on especially since military age men from the RS can get passports only in Belgrade, usually with some trouble.

A source from an elite army unit with combat experience from Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia in 1991/’92 confirmed that Bosnian and Krajina Serbs aren’t the only ones going to Zaire: "Two months ago was the first time I heard offers of a job in Zaire and went to talk to the right man with a friend," VREME source Marko said. "We met in a restaurant, the man said he was a former military officer and made it clear that he was working for the state although he didn’t go into detail. He said he wanted instructors for Yugoslav-made weapons in Zaire and added that we could earn 9,000 dollars in three months; half in advance, the rest when we get there," Marko said. "That seemed very suspicious." Since the man didn’t know the answers to specific questions about contracts, insurance and the trip there and back, Marko decided not to risk it. "My friend decided to go. He sent me a message from there saying everything was fine."

Marko’s story continued a few weeks later when he got a call from a man who was his superior once and who he says he trusts completely. "He also told me he works for the state and repeated the same salary figure but he said he managed to get us contracts, insurance with Lloyd’s and other guarantees. For example, we were promised that the unit would not be broken up but would operate as a team and that there would be sufficient supplies of bottled water and canned food. He even demanded regular cigarette supplies so we wouldn’t have to spend money."

Although the contracts are being drafted, Marko has decided to take the offer and is preparing to leave for Zaire with his war-time unit. "There are two options for the trip. The first is for the "meat" from the RS. When I say "meat" I don’t mean to underestimate the boys from the RS. They know how to fight, but they all went to war at 17 or 18 and they don’t know anything else. They don’t ask questions or demand anything. That’s not strange knowing what they’re being paid. The other option is the way I’m going. I know the man who’s heading the group, I know the men in the group and now this story is serious," he said but he wasn’t sure what he and his friends are supposed to do in Zaire. "They told us our main job will be to secure artillery positions while combat missions are paid for separately." Marko doesn’t have a clear idea of the military and political situation on the ground but he’s calmed by the fact that "we’ll be fighting on the same side as the Foreign Legion and the Americans".

Mercenaries are a global phenomenon, Lazanski said. But how is it that there are Serbs among the vast number of mercenaries across the world? CNN aired pictures on February 12 which experts said showed Zairian troops wearing Yugoslav designed camouflage uniforms and carrying Crvena Zastava infantry weapons, and two Galeb aircraft with the Zairian coat of arms. Unofficial reports said Yugoslav companies licensed for arms exports sold third companies (mainly French and Belgian) a certain amount of military equipment. The Yugoslav Army (VJ) is obliged to lower its weapon levels under the Dayton agreement and because of the catastrophic situation it faces, every dollar earned is welcome. The interest of the mediators is the survival of the Mobutu regime, i.e. the concessions he gave Belgian and French companies (Zaire has 60& of the world’s cobalt reserves and rich gold, copper and oil fields). So there is an offer and demand. Unofficial reports said the Yugoslav weapons and equipment were sold at discount prices and it’s logical to find people who know the equipment and others to secure it at the place it was bought.

The men and the weapons are both going to Zaire at discount prices: what the best of the VJ personnel are getting to go to war in Zaire is an average salary in the West. Naturally, someone is making a huge profit on the whole deal. But, we’ve been there before; our young men are attracted by promises of money and adventure and are going to another country to fight in someone’s dirty war for someone else’s interests and profit.