Paris stopover: a short, agenda-driven visit
Back from the Davos forum and following a private stop in Brussels, Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi is in Paris on Friday, 23 January, according to information reported by RFI. The stay is described as brief, structured around a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The meeting is expected to combine bilateral matters with discussions on the Great Lakes region, a diplomatic theatre where tensions remain persistent. In this context, the Paris exchange appears designed to take stock of current dynamics while preserving room for further coordination.
Kinshasa’s request and a partnership Paris highlights
According to the same information, the encounter is being held at Kinshasa’s request. The format signals an intention to move efficiently through core files rather than stage a broader public sequence, particularly at a time when regional security concerns continue to shape the tone of international engagements.
France frames its relationship with the DRC as one of its most significant African partnerships in terms of commitments recorded last year. The Paris meeting therefore also reads as a moment of diplomatic follow-up, aimed at aligning political messaging with the operational pace of cooperation.
France’s UN Security Council role on the DRC file
Among the issues likely to be revisited is France’s role at the UN Security Council on the DRC. Paris carried two Security Council resolutions dedicated to the situation in the country, acting as the “penholder” responsible for drafting texts, steering negotiations among Council members, and presenting them for a vote.
Those negotiations were described as particularly demanding. One resolution proved sensitive due to the reluctance of other African countries and the responsibilities it referenced. Another was difficult because it addressed the mandate of MONUSCO, in a setting shaped by geopolitical rivalries between the United States and China in the Great Lakes region.
Paris conference pledges: what has been disbursed
The Macron–Tshisekedi exchange is also expected to return to the Paris conference of 30 October 2025 on peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes region. That meeting brought together 70 states and international organisations, which announced a total of 1.5 billion euros in pledges.
According to Paris, the entirety of the emergency humanitarian funding—850 million euros—has already been effectively disbursed. In diplomatic terms, the distinction between announcements and execution matters; the emphasis on disbursement signals an effort to demonstrate delivery, not only intent, as the region remains under strain.
Inter-Congolese dialogue: Paris’ stated line
Another expected point is the call for an inter-Congolese dialogue. France’s position is presented as consistent: for a durable peace, and in continuity with consultations carried out by Congolese churches, Paris supports the holding of a national dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Set against the wider Great Lakes context, this focus underscores a preference for political processes that can reinforce internal cohesion while interacting with regional and international efforts. The Paris lunch, though short, thus carries a dense agenda—linking UN diplomacy, financing follow-through, and a political pathway framed as necessary for lasting stability.
