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South Africa will withdraw its troops from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Saturday.
Ramaphosa informed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the decision, citing the need to “realign” the country’s military resources, according to the statement.
South Africa has contributed to U.N. peacekeeping in Congo for 27 years, with more than 700 soldiers currently deployed.
The U.N. mission in Congo, extended in December, has nearly 11,000 troops and police tasked with countering multiple rebel groups in the country’s volatile eastern region, where decades of conflict have recently intensified.
The statement added that South Africa will coordinate with the U.N. to “finalise the timelines and other modalities of the withdrawal, which will be completed before the end of 2026.”
Ramaphosa’s office stressed that South Africa will maintain strong bilateral relations with Congo and continue supporting multilateral initiatives aimed at achieving lasting peace in the country.
