South Africa to Withdraw Troops from MONUSCO

February 8, 2026 - 09:38 - South Africa has decided to withdraw its military contribution from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). According to the South African Presidency, President Cyril Ramaphosa informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres of this decision. South Africa is among the top ten troop-contributing countries to MONUSCO, with more than 700 soldiers deployed in the DRC under the UN peacekeeping mandate. In a statement, the Presidency said that during a telephone conversation on January 12, 2026, President Ramaphosa explained that the unilateral withdrawal decision was motivated by the need to consolidate and reorient resources of the South African National Defence Force, after 27 years of supporting UN peacekeeping operations in the DRC. The Presidency further indicated that South Africa will work with the United Nations to finalize the timeline and modalities of the withdrawal, which is expected to be completed before the end of 2026. President Ramaphosa also welcomed the UN Secretary-General’s appreciation of the decision. The statement added that the South African government will continue to maintain close bilateral relations with the DRC government and support multilateral peace efforts led by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), and the United Nations to achieve lasting peace in the DRC. In December 2025, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2808 (2025), extending MONUSCO’s mandate until December 20, 2026, including, on an exceptional basis, its Force Intervention Brigade. Under this resolution, MONUSCO is authorized to maintain a maximum strength of 11,500 military personnel, 600 military observers and staff officers, 443 police officers, and 1,270 formed police unit members. Its strategic priorities remain: Protection of civilians in its areas of deployment, Implementation of the objectives set out in Resolution 2773 (2025), and Stabilization and strengthening of state institutions in the DRC. The Council also authorized MONUSCO to support the implementation of a permanent ceasefire in line with Resolution 2773 (2025). France, the penholder of the resolution, said it aims to place MONUSCO “on the front line of support for peace efforts,” including those of the African Union, Togo’s mediation, sub-regional organizations, as well as the United States and Qatar.