"Arrest of Zingman in Congo Could Trigger a Chain Reaction of Exposing the Lukashenka Regime"

There are many interesting things ahead.

The arrest of Aliaksandr Zingman in Congo is a potentially explosive story for the official Minsk. In theory, these events can shed light on the real content of the business projects of the Lukashenka regime in Africa and the Middle East and trigger a chain reaction of disclosures, the Belarusian Donbas Telegram channel writes.

Zingman is a person whose name did not appear in the information space a few years ago. But then Lukashenka suddenly came up with the idea of developing relations with Zimbabwe.

Formally, it was only about the supply of Belarusian industrial and agricultural equipment to Africa. But for some reason, Lukashenka entrusts the oversight of these issues to the siloviki, his most loyal and most odious colleague - Viktar Sheiman. For some reason, the key intermediary in these transactions is AFTRADE DMCC, controlled by no-name Zingman, registered in the UAE free economic zone (a country with which the Lukashenka family has special relations) and entitled to various tax and customs benefits. Zingman regularly accompanies Sheiman on his trips to Zimbabwe and even provides him with a private jet for flights. In the African press, he is called “an outstanding Belarusian businessman” and “adviser” to Sheiman. In January 2019, he becomes the Honorary Consul of Zimbabwe in Belarus. The consulate office and the AFTRADE representative office are located in the adjacent premises of the President Hotel, a hotel owned by Lukashenka’s affairs department.

All this is strange, but there is nothing criminal here. However, in the summer of 2020, a wave of publications appeared in the African press about Zingman's involvement in the arms trade. According to media reports, Rosoboronexport, which is under Western sanctions, sold military equipment to Zambia with Zingman's assistance. A photo was even leaked to the network where Zingman was captured next to the President of Zambia and the head of the Russian corporation, Alexander Mikheev. It was reported that Zambian generals were also present at the meeting. There were rumors of Zingman's connections with diamond smugglers. In general, a strange company has formed around the man who positions himself as a supplier of exclusively civilian equipment. Finally, in March 2021, Zingman was arrested in DR Congo. According to local media outlets, the arrest was linked to the arms trade.

What should be understood in this regard?

1) Zingman is a person who is closely associated not only with the Belarusian but also with the Russian authorities. If the reason for his arrest was indeed the arms trade, then it remains unknown whose interests he served in Congo - Moscow or Minsk. Although the synchronization of these interests, in this case, is not completely ruled out.

2) It should be admitted that if information about Zingman's mediation in the sale of Russian weapons to Africa appeared in the media, then there was no such information regarding Belarusian weapons. But logically, the arms trade looks like the missing pieces of the puzzle in the picture of the African projects of official Minsk, which for some reason were entrusted to supervise the whole Colonel-General Sheiman. Especially considering that Belarus is in the top 20 arms exporters in the world, and African countries are one of the main buyers of Belarusian defense products.

So that's it. Practice shows that publicity is extremely harmful to Zingman. Just a couple of years ago, he was a "gray eminence" about whom no one knows anything. Now, due to the efforts of journalists and numerous mysterious "leaks," he has become a famous person with a badly tarnished reputation. To do this, it was enough to become an honorary consul of Zimbabwe. And we can only guess what will emerge about Zingman and his business after his arrest in the Congo. I think there are a lot of interesting things.