South Africa has officially announced its decision to withdraw its contingent of 700 troops deployed under the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). This significant decision, conveyed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is influenced by the imperative to "consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force" after 27 years of dedicated support to UN peacekeeping efforts in the DRC.

The move follows a period of escalating conflict in eastern DRC, particularly with the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, which seized large swathes of territory and key cities in early 2025. Pretoria had previously repatriated hundreds of troops deployed under another military mission from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) after 17 South African soldiers were tragically killed amidst the intensifying conflict between government forces and the M23. Furthermore, mounting calls for Pretoria to pull out of the resource-rich region emerged in January 2025 after several more of its soldiers lost their lives, including at least two deployed under the UN.

The volatile environment in the DRC is stark, exemplified by events such as 23 soldiers patrolling near the scene of a landslide at an open pit coltan mine in Rubaya on January 30, 2026. In another escalation of hostilities, the M23 claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a key airport in Kisangani, several hundred kilometres from the armed group's usual area of operations.

MONUSCO, which had a total of nearly 11,000 troops and police deployed when its mandate was extended in December, is tasked with countering the many rebel groups active in Congo's restive east, where conflict has raged for decades. South Africa has been among the top 10 troop contributors to this critical mission. The withdrawal of South African forces will be finalized before the end of 2026, with South Africa working jointly with the UN to establish the timelines and other modalities of the withdrawal.

Despite the troop withdrawal, South Africa reaffirmed its commitment to the pursuit of lasting peace in the DRC. The nation will continue to maintain close bilateral ties with Congo's government and support other multilateral efforts by the SADC, the UN, and the African Union. These efforts include ongoing mediation by Qatar, which resulted in a commitment towards a ceasefire signed in July, and a US-brokered peace deal formalized between the DRC and Rwanda in Washington in December.