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It all started with a cup of coffee on a Parisian terrace. One of those allongés that you order to prolong the pleasures of discussion. The conversation was not about Dan Gertler. Our interlocutor, a jack-of-all-trades in African affairs, had invited us to discuss another project. The name of the Israeli billionaire did not come up until an hour later. At the beginning of 2020, Gertler was placed under sanctions for two years by the US. Reportedly close to Joseph Kabila, he has recently had to deal with Félix Tshisekedi’s government.
The man only speaks to the press once a decade. His confidants are told to keep quiet, and he prefers the company of rabbis to that of socialites, the atmosphere of synagogues to that of press rooms. Therefore, when our interlocutor mentioned the possibility of meeting the mysterious Israeli, we nodded enthusiastically.
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