President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has today departed for Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where he will hold bilateral talks with President-elect of DRC, Mr Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the DRC’s President-elect, scheduled for tomorrow the 20th of January 2024.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that President Chakwera has temporarily suspended his public engagements in the southern region to undertake this unscheduled trip to DRC at the behest of President Tshisekedi Tshilombo to hold urgent in-person talks regional security matters affecting Malawi Defence Force troops currently deployed in peacekeeping activities in Eastern DRC.

President Chakwera departed for Kinshasa through Chileka Airport in Blantyre and will return on Sunday 21st January, through the same airport, for the resumption of his public engagements in the southern region.