The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has denied reports that it has signed a military cooperation agreement with Russia.
“So far, there are no recently signed agreements on military cooperation between Russia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the Ministry of Communications and Media said in a statement on Thursday.
This denial follows a statement by the Russian side on Tuesday. State-run TASS news agency published an article stating that the Russian government has approved a draft military cooperation agreement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Citing government documents, TASS reported that the agreement includes joint exercises and drills, military drills and “visits by warships and fighter jets upon invitation or request.”
Democratic Republic of the Congo says that the draft treaty in question was initiated by both countries in 1999, but has not yet been signed.
“Currently, there is no bilateral discussion between the two parties for the effective implementation of this draft agreement. Under current conditions, the Democratic Republic of Congo is not considering any either,” the Ministry of Communications added.
Russia expanded its military agreements with African countries to expand its political influence on the continent.
Russia has provided military aid to the Central African Republic and the military-run governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso through the Wagner Mercenaries.