Newly obtained documents suggest Gáspár Orbán had a far more prominent role in Hungary’s controversial Chad mission than previously acknowledged.
Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s son, Gáspár Orbán, was named as the person responsible for leading a Hungarian medical mission to Chad in a non-public government resolution, according to official documents obtained by Hungarian news outlet 444.hu.
The documents shed new light on the role played by the former prime minister’s son in Hungary’s planned African mission, suggesting that his responsibilities went considerably beyond simply participating in preparations.
According to 444.hu, the documents include non-public government resolutions and records connected to the mission. They reportedly show that Gáspár Orbán was placed in a position of authority over both military personnel and the medical mission’s coordinator.
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Gáspár Orbán named as head of medical mission
A medical mission travelled to Chad between 21 September and 5 October 2023. A non-public government resolution concerning the mission reportedly identified Gáspár Orbán as the person responsible for leading the entire medical mission.
The document placed both the military leadership and the medical mission coordinator under his authority. The Hungarian consul was reportedly the only person at the same level in the organisational structure, although no other officials were assigned under the consul.
The documents also point to Gáspár Orbán having played a leading role in an earlier mission to Niger.
One document reportedly states that Hungary Helps and the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences acted according to instructions issued by the Coordination Office, headed by “Gáspár O.”
Niger mission later became Chad operation
The original plans reportedly focused on Niger, but political developments in the West African country prompted Hungary to change the destination.
Chad subsequently became the focus of the project, which was broader than a military operation. According to Telex, when then-Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced the initiative in December 2023, he described it as involving security, economic, humanitarian and educational cooperation.
Documents obtained by 444.hu reportedly show that Gáspár Orbán was a member of the Africa Working Group (MUCS) established in connection with the Chad mission.
However, the documents suggest his involvement went significantly beyond ordinary membership. According to 444.hu’s reporting, several internal documents indicate that activities connected to the project required his approval.
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Government officials gave conflicting accounts
The newly reported documents appear to contrast with earlier statements from Hungarian government and military officials about Gáspár Orbán’s involvement.
In April, then-Chief of Staff Gábor Böröndi confirmed that the former prime minister’s son had participated in the government planning group dealing with the Chad mission. At the same time, however, Böröndi described claims that Gáspár Orbán had led the group as a “gross exaggeration”.
“We had a dedicated planning team in place, which was led by my deputy, Lieutenant General Ferenc Kajári,” Böröndi said at the time.
Former government minister Gergely Gulyás had previously claimed that Gáspár Orbán had played no role in preparing the Chad mission.
However, former Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky had given a different account. In both an interview and a 2024 parliamentary hearing, he said Gáspár Orbán had been involved in preparing the mission after being assigned to the ministerial cabinet.
Orbán’s son had already been linked to the secret mission
Gáspár Orbán’s involvement in the African operation first attracted widespread attention in early 2024, when investigative outlet Direkt36 reported on his role. The outlet published photographs and videos appearing to show him personally taking part in negotiations involving the Hungarian delegation in Chad.
More recently, Army Captain Szilveszter Pálinkás told Telex that Gáspár Orbán had been given an office in the Karmelita complex in Budapest after graduating from the Royal Military Academy in the United Kingdom, where he held the rank of first lieutenant. According to Pálinkás, he subsequently began working on the planning of the African mission.
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