South Africa will conclude its long-running military contribution to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with a full withdrawal planned by the end of 2026. The presidency announced the decision on Sunday, marking an end to a 27-year deployment under the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO). Rationale and Planned CoordinationPresident Cyril Ramaphosa informed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the move during a call on January 12, citing the "need to consolidate and realign the resources" of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). South Africa, one of MONUSCO's top ten troop-contributing countries, currently has more than 700 soldiers deployed. MONUSCO's Response and Regional ContextMONUSCO issued a statement thanking South Africa for its "steadfast commitment" over decades and honoring the sacrifice of its fallen peacekeepers.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 08, 2026 21:06 UTC