Latlong International is a security company operating in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Since its registration in 2012 it has built up a reputation as the security company of choice in North and South Kivu, expanding nationally. Latlong has the confidence, support and the management skills to provide required services, beyond security, to help your project - private business, (international) organisation or government institution - grow and succeed.
MISSION
Latlong International provides world-class integrated security solutions to clients in our target markets by consistently exceeding customer satisfaction through operational excellence, superior service and innovation. We understand our clients" needs and propose solutions beyond security.
VISION
To be and to stay the security company of choice in Africa.
<< Doing small things everyday to achieve big things. >> Dries Coetzee
VALUES
Punctuality: We do our very best to ensure that our security services are delivered on time, in time.
Solution-driven: We identify problems and immediately seek to find solutions for it.
Standards: We recruit only the best candidates from the community, train and equip them properly, .
THE FOUNDER
Latlong International
Dries Coetzee (15.11.1966 - 01.07.2021), a South African citizen, born on a farm in the North West of South Africa. After school, he joined the South African Army and was selected into Special Forces where he served for nine years during the Angolan war. After his resignation, as an officer, he worked in the private security sector in South Africa.
He then served in Iraq as a private security contractor for four years. Initially he was a PSD team leader and then Site Security Development Manager in the American / Iraq reconstruction and development program. During the last year of his service in Iraq, the company acquired an aircraft and Dries was made responsible for transporting contractors and security personnel to the various construction sites in Iraq. He was the holder of a Commercial pilot’s license.
In 2008, he started working for an oil exploration company in the west of the DRC as country security manager for three years. During this time, an international tobacco company approached him to oversee their security in the DRC. He relocated to Goma during a period of instability in the east of the Congo and fell in love with it. As a person driven by change, challenge and excitement, the creation of his own specialized security company, Latlong International, came naturally.
Since March 2022, Gilbert Dilis is part of the Latlong family; as Operational Director, he is responsible for all Latlong security services in the DRC.
Before his engagement with Latlong, Gilbert was an Officer in the Belgian Army (Infantry, Para Commando and Special Forces) and participated in different military operations on this continent (Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC as well as Congo-Brazza) and beyond. He was security advisor for Central Africa and worked in different embassies (DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe). From 2011 until now, he was head of security for the Virunga National Park (VNP) in the east of the DRC.