Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi received French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in Kinshasa on Thursday, marking a calming of tensions following incidents at the French embassy in Kinshasa.
During an hour-long meeting at the Cité de l’Union Africaine, the Congolese head of state reviewed the concerning security situation in his country.
“President Tshisekedi expressed his regrets concerning the unfortunate events that affected the French embassy during the peaceful demonstration on January 28,” the Congolese presidency said.
The visit to the DRC by the French foreign minister, which follows several telephone conversations between Félix Tshisekedi and Emmanuel Macron, comes amid a tension in the region.
France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, recently backed the DRC during two emergency meetings on the situation in North Kivu, particularly after the incursion by Rwandan troops near Goma.
“The DRC expects more concrete actions to address this crisis marked by the looting of natural resources, massacres, and massive human rights violations,” the Congolese presidency said, while welcoming French diplomatic support.
TE/lb/as/APA