Pretoria: President Cyril Ramaphosa has notified the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, of South Africa’s decision to withdraw its soldiers from the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). In a statement, the Presidency highlighted that South Africa is among the top ten contributors to MONUSCO, with over 700 soldiers stationed in the Democratic Republic of Congo to support the peacekeeping mandate.

According to South African Government News Agency, the decision for withdrawal follows a telephone discussion on 12 January 2026, where President Ramaphosa emphasized the need to realign resources of the South African National Defence Force. This decision comes after 27 years of South Africa’s involvement in UN peacekeeping efforts in the DRC.

MONUSCO was originally established by the UN Security Council in 1999 to assist the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement. Over the years, with ongoing conflict in the DRC, its mandate has expanded to include protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, and human rights defenders, along with supporting DRC’s government in peace stabilization efforts.

South Africa and the United Nations will work together to finalize the withdrawal process, which is expected to be completed before the end of 2026. President Ramaphosa acknowledged the UN Secretary General’s appreciation of South Africa’s support.

The Presidency reiterated South Africa’s commitment to maintaining strong bilateral relations with the DRC and supporting multilateral efforts by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), and the United Nations in achieving lasting peace in the region.