French soldiers deployed at the Romanian military base in Cincu as part of NATO operations have reportedly been living in poor conditions. French investigative publication Mediapart reported on this subject, saying soldiers have complained about insufficient food, unsanitary conditions, and poor heating in tents, local Digi24 said.

"I'm hungry, I'm cold, I'm sleepy," a French soldier told a relative in a WhatsApp message on October 27, Mediapart journalist Justine Brabant revealed.

The news came amid the visit of Sébastien Lecornu, France's Minister of the Armed Forces, to the Romanian military base last Thursday. France leads the NATO Battle Group in Romania, established in May, and said it would increase its military presence in the country, including with Leclerc battle tanks.

However, Mediapart revealed that the French troops stationed at the Cincu base live in terrible conditions. Justine Brabant said they complained about insufficient toilets, dirty prefabricated buildings sent from Mali, and garbage not being collected. "It's a 'quagmire' with rats and dogs, the soldiers say," the journalist noted, sharing a photo to support her claims.

[THREAD] Les soldats français déployés sur la base de Cincu, en Roumanie (dans le cadre d’une mission de dissuasion au profit de l’Otan), témoignent dans Mediapart de leurs conditions de vie, qu’ils jugent indignes.https://t.co/rFHG7VpsVX

— Justine Brabant (@justinebrabant) November 4, 2022

In response to a request for information sent to the French General Staff, the institution said that it is normal to have "rustic" conditions at the start of an operation and assured that they have improved and will continue to improve. The soldiers and their relatives said this could be understood, but not entirely when eight months have passed since they were deployed to Romania.

Moreover, according to Mediapart, the General Staff admitted between the lines that there are some problems, such as power cuts, meals (which are improving), and hygiene (reportedly new toilets have been ordered).

The Romanian Ministry of Defence (MApN) also reacted to the news, saying that, according to allied procedures, "the responsibilities regarding camping, feeding the troops and providing related services (water supply, energy, waste management, etc.) in the Cincu location, were fully assumed by the French side."

"As the host nation, the Romanian side has made available all the elements requested so far by the representatives of the French army and the other allied contingents and will continue to act promptly in the future to provide assistance and support, according to requests, in accordance with the national legislative framework and with the commitments that will be assumed by the technical agreement to be concluded between the Romanian and French sides," the MApN added in its press release.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Alex Nicodim)