South Africa to withdraw troops from UN mission in DR Congo

23 soldiers patrol near the scene of a landslide at an open pit coltan mine in Rubaya on January 30, 2026. [AFP]]

South Africa will withdraw its 700 troops deployed under the United Nations' peacekeeping mission in the conflict-plagued Democratic Republic of Congo, the presidency said Saturday.

Pretoria last year repatriated hundreds of troops deployed under another military mission from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) after 17 of its soldiers were killed in escalating conflict between government forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group.