Struggling with the intense pressure from the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in its eastern provinces, Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, has sent a desperate appeal to Chad, asking for military support to help fight the spiraling insurgency.
Reuters reported the move by DRC on Wednesday, quoting a Chadian official and a source at the Congolese presidency.
Chad’s presidency revealed via a Facebook post that Congo’s Minister of Regional Integration met with Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby on Tuesday on behalf of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi.
Details on the discussions were not disclosed, Reuters further reported.
However, a Chadian official with knowledge of the discussions said Chad was considering a request for support from Congo, but had not yet made a decision on the request.
Reuters referenced a source at the Congolese presidency which said on Wednesday that Congo had requested military and diplomatic support from Chad.
Neither source provided further details. They also declined to be named for confidentiality reasons.
According to Reuters, Chad’s government spokesman, Gassim Cherif, did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. Tshisekedi’s spokesperson, Tina Salama, said she did not have any information on the matter.
Last week, Chad’s Foreign Affairs Minister told Reuters that sending military support to Congo was “pure speculation”.
