Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has for the past week been in Belgium for treatment of a herniated disc, his office has announced.
The announcement comes after several Belgian media outlets claimed that Tshisekedi had undergone heart surgery, while others claimed he left Kinshasa on Saturday “in a critical health condition”.
To reassure denizens of Congo, and dispel speculations that the president was gravely ill, his office published photos of the head of state, smiling alongside his doctors.
“The President is currently in Belgium for treatment of a herniated disc. The Head of State took the opportunity to carry out his annual medical check-up, and he is doing well.,” the presidency said in a statement.
“After a few days of rest with his family and private visits, the President will return to Kinshasa very soon,” his office added.