Jürgen Conings
 Jürgen Conings    (Soldier) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 28 September 1974 |
| Died | May 2021 (Age 46) Hoge Kempen National Park, Belgium |
Cause of death | suicide? |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Interests | Marc Van Ranst |
Belgian soldier who threatened the Covid narrative and establishment in his country physically. | |
Jürgen Conings was a Belgian soldier who gained notoriety in May 2021 for his disappearance and subsequent manhunt by Belgian authorities. Conings was an experienced sniper and had been employed by the Belgian Armed Forces for over 20 years.
Background
Conings was born on March 6, 1974, in Dilsen-Stokkem, a municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg. He joined the Belgian Armed Forces in 1992 and trained as a paratrooper. He later became a sniper and was deployed on several missions, including in Afghanistan.
Disappearance and Manhunt
On May 17, 2021, Conings went missing from his barracks in Leopoldsburg, Belgium, allegedly taking with him various weapons, including an FN P90 submachine gun and M72 LAW rocket launchers. He had reportedly expressed extremist and violent views online, including threats against virologist Marc Van Ranst, who had advised the Belgian government on its COVID-19 response.
Conings' disappearance sparked a massive manhunt, with over 400 Belgian soldiers and police officers searching for him. The Belgian government also raised the national terror threat level to its highest point, citing the danger posed by Conings. The manhunt lasted for over a month and covered a large area of Limburg province, including forests, fields, and residential neighborhoods.
On June 20, 2021, Conings' body was found in reeds in the national park Hoge Kempen, near the Dutch border. He had allegedly taken his own life using a firearm. The narrative about who first discovered the body shifted several times, including the mayor of Maaseik and a local hunter.[1]
Controversy and Political Fallout
Conings' disappearance and subsequent manhunt sparked controversy and political fallout in Belgium. Many criticized the Belgian government for not taking Conings' extremist views seriously enough and for failing to prevent him from accessing weapons. Some also accused the government of using the manhunt as a distraction from other issues, including its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Others criticized the media for sensationalizing the manhunt and contributing to the glorification of Conings as a martyr for the "far-right". The incident also reignited debates about extremism and radicalization in the Belgian Armed Forces and raised questions about the military's screening procedures for its personnel.
