South Africa will withdraw more than 700 troops from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), ending nearly three decades of involvement in peacekeeping operations in the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa informed United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres of the decision during a telephone conversation on January 12, the South African Presidency announced on Saturday. The withdrawal follows a comprehensive review of peacekeeping commitments and the need to consolidate and realign resources of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
South Africa ranks among the top 10 troop contributing countries to MONUSCO, with over 700 soldiers currently deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in support of the mission’s peacekeeping mandate. The country has maintained a military presence in the UN mission for 27 years.
The withdrawal will be carried out in close coordination with the United Nations to ensure an orderly and responsible drawdown, with the process expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said South Africa will work jointly with the UN to finalize timelines and other modalities of the withdrawal.
Ramaphosa welcomed the appreciation expressed by the UN Secretary General regarding South Africa’s decision. The Presidency reaffirmed South Africa’s longstanding commitment to peace, stability and development in the DRC, stating that Pretoria would continue to maintain close bilateral relations with the Congolese government.
South Africa will continue to support peace efforts through bilateral engagement as well as multilateral frameworks, including the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the United Nations, according to the statement.
The announcement comes months after South Africa completed withdrawal of troops from a separate SADC military mission in the DRC. The SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) ended in March 2025 following heavy casualties, including 14 South African soldiers killed in January 2025 during the M23 rebel group’s seizure of Goma and Bukavu in eastern DRC.
MONUSCO was established by the UN Security Council in 1999 to support the implementation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement. The mission has evolved with a mandate to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence, and to support the Congolese government in stabilization and peace consolidation efforts.
The withdrawal marks a significant shift in South Africa’s peacekeeping role in Central Africa. The country has been one of Africa’s largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions, with troops also deployed in Sudan and the DRC through MONUSCO representing major commitments.
Eastern DRC has experienced persistent conflict for decades, with more than 100 armed groups operating in the region. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has seized large swathes of territory since late 2024, displacing millions of people and creating one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
