Kigali, Rwanda – South Africa has announced it will withdraw its troops from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), bringing to a close a 27-year military presence that has made the country one of the mission’s longest-serving African contributors.
The decision is seen as a major shift in Pretoria’s defence posture amid evolving regional dynamics and growing domestic scrutiny of overseas deployments.
The announcement was confirmed over the weekend by the South African Presidency, which said President Cyril Ramaphosa had formally informed United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres of the decision.
South Africa currently has more than 700 soldiers deployed under MONUSCO, a mission established to help stabilize eastern DRC and protect civilians in a region plagued for decades by armed groups and recurring violence.
As of its most recent mandate renewal in December, MONUSCO had nearly 11,000 troops and police personnel on the ground.
Pretoria said it will work closely with the United Nations to finalize the timeline and modalities of the withdrawal, which is expected to be completed before the end of 2026.
South African troops have served in the DRC since 1999, making the mission one of the country’s longest and most significant peacekeeping commitments.
According to the Presidency, the decision is driven by the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force after nearly three decades of sustained deployment.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the move followed consultations between President Ramaphosa and UN leadership earlier this year.
“President Ramaphosa indicated that South Africa’s unilateral decision to withdraw from MONUSCO is 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,” Magwenya said.
The withdrawal comes against the backdrop of intensifying political and public debate at home over the risks faced by South African troops in eastern Congo.
In January 2025, lawmakers questioned defence officials about the nature of the deployment after South African soldiers were caught in crossfire in Goma during clashes between the Congolese army and M23 rebels.
Addressing Parliament, SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya said the incident was not a targeted attack. “The first report I gave to the minister was that we were under fire because the shells were landing on my base,” he said.
Despite the withdrawal, Pretoria has stressed it will maintain close ties with Kinshasa and continue supporting peace initiatives through the United Nations, the African Union and SADC, even as its long-standing MONUSCO role draws to a close.
