South Africa troops exit from DR Congo to be completed this month, says general

Johannesburg: South African troops withdrawing from the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have begun assembling in Tanzania and mos...

Johannesburg: South African troops withdrawing from the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have begun assembling in Tanzania and most should return home this month, the defence chief said on Sunday.

Under the phased withdrawal that started on April 29, the troops are to exit the DRC via Rwanda by road before entering Tanzania, General Rudzani Maphwanya said.

From there they will return to South Africa by sea and air by the end of May, he said.

The soldiers are part of a regional Southern African Development Community (SADC) force that deployed to the eastern DRC in December 2023 during a resurgence of the M23 armed movement.

The M23 now controls swathes of territory in the mineral-rich region.