Several dozen protesters holding portraits of Vladimir Putin and waving Russian flags gathered in front of the French Embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday, March 1.
The demonstrators reportedly chanted the slogan "Macron is a killer, Putin to the rescue!" and unfurled banners reading "Macron is the godfather of DRC balkanization," "Congolese say no to French policy," and "Macron is an unwanted guest in DRC" as photographed and filmed by local media.
Bruno Mimbenga, one of the protest organizers, said that the protesters' Russian flags mean that the Congolese "no longer need France, we want to work with reliable partners such as Russia or China."
A number of activist groups and movements participated in the protests to oppose the arrival of the French president in the country.
"Let the young Congolese be awake. The arrival of Emmanuel Macron, follows a plan to balkanize our homeland," one of the protesters said, as cited by the media.
The French president will embark on a five-day working trip to African countries "in order to strengthen bilateral ties in the sphere of influence, where competition between Russia and China is increasingly felt," according to an official statement.
In Libreville, Gabon, Macron will take part in the One Forest Summit taking place on March 1-2 and dedicated to the protection of equatorial forests. He will then head to Luanda, Angola, to mark the beginning of French-Angolan partnership in agriculture.
Afterwards, the French president is planning to visit Brazzaville, Congo, and Kinshasa, DRC, "in order to develop relations in the fields of education, medicine, science, culture and defense," according to the French official statement.
On February 27, Emmanuel Macron gave a speech dedicated to France's new policy on Africa, saying that Paris must demonstrate "profound humility" on the continent and open a "new era" in its partnership with African nations due to "unprecedented" and "historic" challenges.