South African Troops to Complete Withdrawal: The withdrawal of South African troops from the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is underway, with most expected to return home this month, according to the defence chief.
The phased withdrawal began on April 29, with troops exiting the DRC via Rwanda by road before proceeding to Tanzania, General Rudzani Maphwanya reported. From Tanzania, the soldiers will make their way back to South Africa by sea and air by the end of May.
These troops are part of a regional Southern African Development Community (SADC) force that deployed to eastern DRC in December 2023 in response to a resurgence of the M23 armed movement, which currently controls large areas of the mineral-rich region.
As of now, thirteen trucks carrying 57 members of the SADC peacekeeping force (SAMIDRC) have assembled at a staging point in Tanzania, Maphwanya said. The next group is scheduled to withdraw next week. “The movement from Tanzania to South Africa will be by air for personnel and by sea for cargo,” he explained. “Most personnel will have returned to South Africa by the end of May 2025, except those who need to oversee the equipment shipping.”
The SADC decided to end its SAMIDRC mission in mid-March following the deaths of 17 soldiers, predominantly South Africans, who were killed in M23 offensives in January. Many of these soldiers have been stranded in the region since then.
The grouping confirmed last week that the withdrawal had started but did not provide specific details. On April 30, a separate evacuation began for hundreds of DRC soldiers and police trapped for months in United Nations bases in Goma after the city was captured by M23 rebels, as reported by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
SADC defence chiefs communicated to the M23 that they would “withdraw personnel and equipment unconditionally,” Maphwanya stated. He emphasised that no SADC equipment would remain, saying, “SADC is not leaving even a pin in eastern DRC.”
Officials have not disclosed the size of the SAMIDRC deployment, but it is estimated that the bulk of the troops, around 1,300 soldiers, come from South Africa. Additionally, there are South African troops in the DRC as part of a separate UN peacekeeping mission.
Calls for evacuation intensified in South Africa after 14 South African soldiers were killed in the region in January. Most of these casualties were from the SADC mission, but at least two were part of the UN force. Three Malawian soldiers from the SADC deployment were also killed, and Tanzania reported the death of two of its soldiers in the clashes.
Maphwanya stated that the evacuation from the DRC should not be viewed as a sign of weakness or abandonment of those caught in the conflict. “Our withdrawal is a technical move that allows peace and mediation to continue,” he noted.
This action followed a meeting last week in Qatar between US President Donald Trump’s senior Africa advisor and representatives from the DRC and Rwanda, which the US described as a step to end the crisis.
UN experts and the United States have alleged that the M23 has received military support from Rwanda, a claim that Rwanda has denied.
