"I'm Out!": South Africa to Exit UN Mission in Congo After 27 Years

South Africa has decided to withdraw its troops from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking a significant contraction of its regional military footprint and underscoring mounting constraints on the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

The decision closes a 27-year chapter of continuous UN deployment in the DRC and comes amid renewed instability in eastern Congo and growing scrutiny of South Africa’s ability to sustain external operations.

Resource Constraints Drive Exit

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa informed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the decision, according to a government statement issued Sunday, February 8, 2026. The Presidency said the move was influenced by the need to “consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force,” following nearly three decades of peacekeeping support in the DRC.

In a telephone call held on January 12, 2026, Ramaphosa described the withdrawal as a unilateral decision shaped by force readiness and sustainability pressures.

South Africa will work jointly with the United Nations to finalize timelines and modalities, with the withdrawal to be completed before the end of 2026.

MONUSCO Mandate and Force Levels

South Africa ranks among the top ten troop-contributing countries to the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), with more than 700 soldiers deployed. At the time its mandate was extended in December, MONUSCO fielded nearly 11,000 troops and police.

Established by the UN Security Council in 1999 to support the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, the mission has since evolved to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel, and human rights defenders under imminent threat, while supporting Congolese government stabilization and peace consolidation efforts in the conflict prone east.

Capability Gaps

Defense analysts say among decades of neglect and defunding, the SANDF does not seem to have the logistical capacity to sustain foreign deployments, with failures in force protection, air support, logistics, and medical evacuation during the SAMIDRC deployment.

Lessons From SAMIDRC Losses

The decision also follows South Africa’s 2025 withdrawal from the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), after its mandate ended in mid-March. That pullout came after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured Sake and Goma in January 2025, killing at least 14 South African and three Malawian soldiers.

Regional Commitments Recast

The Presidency stressed South Africa will maintain close bilateral relations with the DRC and continue supporting multilateral efforts through the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, and the United Nations.

Ramaphosa also welcomed the UN Secretary-General’s appreciation for Pretoria’s decision, signaling an orderly disengagement rather than a rupture with UN peacekeeping.

Against renewed fighting and shifting regional deployments, a Doha-brokered framework seeks to slow the escalation in eastern Congo and restore political and humanitarian access. It lays out ceasefire monitoring, exchanges, returns, and civilian safeguards, though disputes over troop withdrawals and oversight remain unresolved.

Still, the withdrawal narrows South Africa’s role in regional security at a time when eastern Congo remains volatile and international peacekeeping capacity is under strain.