South Africa (SA) has formally withdrawn its contribution of soldiers to the United Nations (UN) Organisation Stabilisation Mission (MONUSCO) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). President Cyril Ramaphosa notified UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres of the decision.

The country has deployed troops to MONUSCO for over 20 years and has been among the top ten troop-contributing nations, with more than 700 soldiers supporting the mission’s peacekeeping mandate.

Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya explained that Ramaphosa’s decision, communicated in a January telephone conversation, reflects the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the SA National Defence Force after 27 years of continuous support to UN peacekeeping operations in the DRC.

–ChannelAfrica–