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| - A Belarus businessman with alleged ties to Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko has been arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo with two others and transferred to the capital Kinshasa, a security source said Tuesday. Alexander Zingman, who is honorary consul for Zimbabwe, was arrested in DR Congo's second city Lubumbashi, the source told AFP. The source did not give the reason for the arrest of the 54-year-old Zingman, who also holds US nationality. Zingman's company AF Trade DMCC confirmed he was detained with another Belarusian Oleg Vodchits and Italian businessman Paolo Persico on March 18. "We are extremely worried," Henadzi Mosesau from AF Trade DMCC told AFP in an email. "Despite several attempts by the family, by AF Trade, as well as the US and Zimbabwean consulates to seek information about their well-being, there has been no sign of life for over three days," Mosesau said. According to reports in Belarus, Zingman has close ties to top officials in about a dozen African and Emirati countries. "The arrest of the oligarch & alleged arms trader Alexander Zingman should be the first step to investigate his shady businesses & close ties with the Belarusian regime," Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya tweeted. Sh said Belarus strongman "Lukashenko & his cronies have been using corruption schemes to hide money", adding: "His assets abroad need to be found." The US embassy in Kinshasa had not responded to AFP's request for comment. bur/mbb/st/ach/mjs
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