South Africa to Withdraw Troops from UN Peacekeeping Mission in DR Congo

South Africa has announced it will withdraw its troops from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a statement issued late Saturday by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office.

President Ramaphosa has informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres of the decision, which the presidency said was driven by the need to realign the resources of South Africa’s armed forces.

South Africa has been part of UN peacekeeping operations in the DRC for 27 years and currently has more than 700 soldiers deployed in the country. The UN mission, whose mandate was extended in December, has nearly 11,000 troops and police personnel in total.

The mission is tasked with countering numerous armed groups operating in eastern Congo, a region that has endured decades of conflict and has recently seen a renewed escalation in violence.

“South Africa will work jointly with the United Nations to finalise the timelines and other modalities of the withdrawal, which will be completed before the end of 2026,” the statement said.

Despite the withdrawal, Ramaphosa’s office emphasized that South Africa will continue to maintain close bilateral relations with the Congolese government and support other multilateral initiatives aimed at achieving lasting peace in the DRC.