France confirms its soldiers are in DR Congo, but only to train local troops

At the request of the DRC authorities, French soldiers have been deployed to Kisangani as part of a training mission. © RFI/Olivier Four

France has clarified that its military personnel are in the Democratic Republic of Congo to train members of the country's armed forces, following speculation sparked by images of soldiers wearing French uniform that were shared on social media.

France's embassy in Kinshasa confirmed that French soldiers are carrying out a training mission in Kisangani, a city on the River Congo in north-eastern DRC, until the end of March.