Protests in Kinshasa against French president Macron's visit

Police cracked down on a march protesting against Emmanuel Macron on Saturday as the French President visited the Democratic Republic of Congo aimed at renewing frayed ties with Kinshasa.

Many of the protesters held up Russian flags and one calls for "help to Mr Putin", with anti-French sentiment running high in the region and Russian and Chinese influence growing.

"We marched against the French president because of his support for the Rwandan army, we don't want him in our country, but unfortunately we were chased by the police, I fled and other demonstrators were arrested," said Emmanuel Jules Kayembe, activist of the 'amis de Bruno Mimbenga' group.

Anti-French sentiment runs high in some former African colonies as the continent becomes a renewed diplomatic battleground, with Russian and Chinese influence growing.

On Thursday Macron said the era of French interference in Africa had ended and there was no desire to return to the past.