French foreign minister arrives in Congo

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has arrived in Congo's capital Kinshasa, an official at the presidency said on January 30, as Rwanda-backed rebels consolidated control of Goma in the east of the African country, Report informs via Reuters.

"The Minister of Foreign Affairs of France will be received in the next few minutes by the president," said Giscard Kusema, deputy director of press for President Felix Tshisekedi.

A French diplomat confirmed that Barrot had landed in Kinshasa, days after M23 rebels, with support from Rwandan troops, marched into Goma and were continuing their offensive southwards in the biggest escalation since 2012 of a decades-old conflict.