The French army officers seen in Kisangani are in the Democratic Republic of Congo for training purposes.
This is the clarification that Paris wanted to provide following the controversy that started with a photo.
On social media, a Congolese journalist posted an image of French soldiers in front of the French flag - sparking interpretations that prompted French diplomacy to react and clear up any ambiguity.
The French embassy in the DRC clarified that these officers are intervening within the framework of the military cooperation program between the two countries which has existed since 2021 and at the request of the authorities in Kinshasa.
In Paris, the media indicate that the mission of these men, mainly deployed with a jungle battalion, will continue until the end of March.
At least four FARDC battalions, of about 800 men each, have already benefited from training in defensive and offensive combat, in the fight against explosive devices - or even in first aid, but also in combat in the equatorial forest.
