Questions Belgium has to answer following the death of soldier Jurgen Conings

Concerns remain over the extent of far-right extremism in the Belgian military

Police vehicles arrive to patrol the spot where the body of Jurgen Conings was found in Dilserbos. AFP

Jurgen Conings, 46, who had anti-vaccine views and was on a terrorism watchlist, had been on the run for a month. AFP

Leonard "Nard" Houben talks to the press near the area where he found the body of Jurgen Conings. AFP

Heavily armed soldiers take part in an intensive sweeping of an area on the edge of the Hoge Kempen National Park on June 4.

Soldiers search around the Hoge Kempen National Park on June 4. Conings was thought to be carrying a rocket launcher, a sub-machinegun, a bulletproof vest and a pistol, and had stolen weapons from a barracks. AFP

Belgian soldiers prepare to enter the Hoge Kempen National Park on May 27. Conings made threats against Dr Marc Van Ranst, a prominent Covid-19 virologist in Belgium, and other experts. AFP

Belgian military ride in a convoy at the entrance of Hoge Kempen on May 21. A manhunt was launched after the discovery of letters, apparently by Conings, that said he did not want to live in “a society ruled by virologists” and pledging to “join the resistance”. AP Photo

Belgian security forces carry out searches in Limburg on May 20. Getty Images

Forester ranger Corina Cools closes the Hoge Kempen National Park on May 19, as authorities began their search for Jurgen Conings. AFP

Special forces are seen outside Salamander on May 19, the main entrance of Hoge Kempen National Park. AFP

The death of the fugitive soldier Jurgen Conings has relieved immediate fears of an armed attack by an anti-vaccine extremist but questions remain for the Belgian authorities about right-wing activity in the forces, vetting and security.

How was he able to secure his arsenal?

Conings had been the target of a huge manhunt since leaving his home near the Dutch border on May 17 with a cache of weaponry, including anti-tank rockets and a sub-machine gun taken from an army base.

He left notes at his home for his partner and the police in which he made threats against virologist Marc Van Ranst, a prominent Covid-19 expert in Belgium, and other unspecified figures.

Rocket launchers and ammunition taken from the base were found in his abandoned car near Dilsen, in western Germany, but police believe he was still heavily armed. A shotgun, handgun, axe, knife and ammunition were found next to his body.

De Standaard reported he was disciplined twice in 2020 for previous threats against Mr Van Ranst which led to a demotion, but he was nonetheless allowed access to the armoury.

The security of the military base and the ease with which the arms were removed pose uncomfortable questions for the forces.

How was a right-wing extremist able to continue in the forces?

The soldier, a specialist marksman, was flagged as a serious threat by the security services three months before he went missing.

He was one of a number of soldiers on a watchlist for being a “potentially violent extremist”, but little action appears to have been taken against him.

Top brass seemed unaware of the situation. The military only moved to discharge him for unauthorised absence after he went missing in June, according to Belgian media reports.

The far-right party Vlaams Belang admitted he was a member in 2020 but said it did not renew his membership. The party said it could not be held responsible for the actions of former members.

During the hunt for Conings, a number of high-profile figures from the extreme right were investigated after giving their support to the renegade soldier.

Was he a lone figure – or did he have support?

He was known to have connections with former soldier Tomas Boutens, who was jailed for five years in 2014 for membership of a neo-Nazi group. Boutens’ home was searched during the operation to find Conings.

In a sign of widespread anti-vaccine scepticism in Germany, a Facebook group supporting Conings garnered some 50,000 supporters before being banned and switching to Telegram.

Dr Van Ranst infiltrated one online support group for the fugitive soldier on Telegram and poked fun at its members before leaving.

A number of small protests and marches in support of the fugitive were held while the search for Conings continued, with one culminating in an anti-Covid lockdown protest in Brussels.

Belgium has long been dogged by coalition chaos in a country divided by region and language. Tortuously long political talks in 2020 to form a new coalition government saw control of the Covid-19 crisis handed over to scientists – who then became targets for anger over handling of the pandemic.

How did Conings die?

Investigators said the likely cause of death was suicide, but it remains unclear how soon he died after going missing and why the body was not found earlier.

Family members of Conings expressed doubt that he killed himself after a hunt involving hundreds of soldiers in the area. An official investigation into his death is unlikely to allay the suspicions of his supporters and conspiracy theorists who are suspicious of the Belgian government.