South Africa has confirmed it will withdraw its contingent of approximately 700 soldiers from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), ending more than two decades of peacekeeping involvement.
In a statement issued on 8 February 2026, the Presidency said President Cyril Ramaphosa had formally notified UN Secretary-General António Guterres of the decision. The move was driven by the need to “consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force” after 27 years of continuous deployment.
“President Ramaphosa informed the Secretary-General of the government’s decision to withdraw its contribution of soldiers,” the Presidency said.
The withdrawal process is expected to be completed before the end of 2026. South Africa ranks among the top ten troop contributors to MONUSCO, which has faced mounting challenges as violence intensifies in eastern DRC.
Military analysts have long warned about the strain on South Africa’s armed forces. Ricardo Teixeira, a defense commentator, noted:
“After 27 years, the South African National Defence Force is withdrawing from the DRC, and terminating its contribution to MONUSCO. Myself and my colleagues have said for years that these deployments were becoming unsustainable. While I am surprised at the government’s sudden decision, it is a recognition that SANDF simply does not have the logistical capacity to sustain foreign deployments anymore.”
He added that while the Presidency framed the move as resource consolidation, “a good move, but just the beginning. There is a lot of work to do. Now my next question is, what’s happening with the budget?”
MONUSCO Background
MONUSCO was established on 1 July 2010, succeeding the earlier UN mission MONUC, under Security Council Resolution 1925. Its mandate authorizes the use of “all necessary means” to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel, and human rights defenders under imminent threat, while supporting the Congolese government in stabilization and peace consolidation efforts.
The mission is headquartered in Kinshasa and is one of the UN’s largest peacekeeping operations. For the 2021–2022 financial year, MONUSCO’s approved budget stood at $1.12 billion.
Escalating Conflict
The announcement comes amid renewed conflict in eastern DRC. Early 2025, the March 23 Movement (M23) has expanded its control over large swathes of territory and several major cities, sparking regional concern.
Pretoria has already scaled back its military footprint in the DRC. In 2025, it repatriated hundreds of troops deployed under a separate Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission after 17 South African soldiers were killed in clashes with M23 rebels.
Strategic Realignment
Officials framed the latest decision as part of a broader restructuring of South Africa’s defense commitments.
“The withdrawal of South African forces… will be finalised before the end of the year,” the Presidency noted, underscoring the priority of resource consolidation at home.
