South Africa withdrawing more than 700 troops from UN mission in Democratic Republic of Congo
Last year, hundreds of South African troops returned home after being deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC).
Image: Jonisayi Maromo/ IOL
South Africa has decided to withdraw its troop contribution to the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), ending nearly three decades of involvement in UN peacekeeping operations in the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has informed United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the South African government’s decision, which was conveyed during a telephone conversation on 12 January 2026.
South Africa ranks among the top 10 troop-contributing countries to MONUSCO, with a force presence of over 700 soldiers deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in support of the mission’s peacekeeping mandate, according to the Presidency in Pretoria.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the withdrawal decision was influenced by “the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force, following twenty-seven years of South Africa’s support to UN peacekeeping efforts in the DRC”.
MONUSCO was established by the UN Security Council in 1999 to support the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement and has since evolved amid persistent conflict, with a mandate to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence, as well as to support the Congolese government’s stabilisation and peace-consolidation efforts.
Magwenya said South Africa would work jointly with the United Nations to finalise the timelines and other modalities of the withdrawal, which is expected to be completed before the end of 2026.
He said President Ramaphosa had welcomed the appreciation expressed by the UN Secretary-General regarding South Africa’s decision.
Despite the withdrawal from MONUSCO, the South African government will continue to maintain close bilateral relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo and provide ongoing support to multilateral peace initiatives led by the Southern African Development Community, the African Union and the United Nations aimed at achieving lasting peace in the country.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News