On Sunday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa informed the UN that the nation will withdraw its contribution to the Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) after nearly 27 years of involvement.

In a phone conversation held January 12, President Ramaphosa said that “the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force” demands South Africa’s unilateral withdrawal. South Africa currently has 700 soldiers under MONUSCO and ranks among the top 10 contributing countries.

South Africa continues to work with the UN to finalize the timelines of the withdrawal, and the mission will work closely with the UN Secretariat and any relevant stakeholders to ensure the transition is managed in a safe and responsible manner. 

On February 8, MONUSCO published a press release expressing gratitude to South African troops for their years of commitment and sacrifice. The mission has regularly paid tribute to South African soldiers who lost their lives under the United Nations flag.

The UN intended MONUSCO to be a temporary mission, terminated in 2025. However, on December 15, 2025, the UN Security Council extended the mandate to continue until December 20, 2026. 

The Ramaphosa’s office maintains that South Africa will continue to hold “close bilateral ties with Congo’s government and support multilateral efforts to bring lasting peace to Congo.”  

MONUSCO took over from an earlier UN peacekeeping operation in 2010. The UN originally established the mission in 1999 to “monitor and implement the ceasefire between the DRC, Angola, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.” The mission continues to stabilize the region after years of conflict.  By Annelies Nie | U. Ottawa Faculty of Law, CA, Jurist News