France has dismissed reports that it deployed troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo after an image circulated earlier this week appearing to show French soldiers in Kisangani.
The Embassy of France in Kinshasa said French military personnel are in the country solely to train the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) under a bilateral cooperation programme that has been in place since 2022.
Kisangani is a key centre for the Congolese military’s drone and logistics operations. The embassy said the French mission is focused on training jungle battalions and is expected to continue until the end of next month.
Belgium is also providing training to FARDC personnel through the European Peace Facility.
Last year, more than 1,000 FARDC troops underwent training by MONUSCO peacekeepers to help protect civilians from armed groups in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.
