South Africa has confirmed it will withdraw its troops from the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) after 27 years of continuous deployment. President Cyril Ramaphosa informed UN Secretary‑General António Guterres of the decision as part of a broader plan to realign and consolidate the South African National Defence Force’s resources.
South Africa is one of the top troop‑contributing countries to MONUSCO, with more than 700 soldiers currently deployed in eastern parts of the DRC, where the mission’s mandate focuses on protecting civilians, supporting peace consolidation, and countering armed groups. The withdrawal process will be managed jointly with the United Nations and is expected to be completed before the end of 2026.
In its official statement, the South African presidency emphasised that the decision does not signal a withdrawal from regional stability efforts. Pretoria said it will continue to support diplomatic and peacebuilding initiatives with the DRC government and engage through regional and international partners such as the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
MONUSCO expressed its deep gratitude to South Africa for decades of service, honouring the sacrifices of South African peacekeepers who have served under the UN flag including those who lost their lives in support of the mission. The UN also reaffirmed its commitment to a safe and orderly transition as the withdrawal proceeds.
The decision underscores evolving approaches to peacekeeping in the region and comes amid ongoing efforts to move toward political solutions and enhanced security cooperation involving the DRC and its neighbours