South Africa has decided to withdraw the peacekeeping troops it had deployed to the UN Congo stabilization mission.

The South African presidency issued a statement on the 8th saying that South Africa has decided to withdraw its peacekeeping troops deployed to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The statement said that South African President Ramaphosa notified UN Secretary-General Guterres of this decision during a phone call on January 12, stating that the decision was made against the backdrop of the need to reorganize the country's defense forces. South Africa will closely coordinate with the United Nations to ensure an orderly and responsible withdrawal process, and plans to complete the entire withdrawal by the end of 2026. The statement emphasized that South Africa is committed to maintaining peace, stability, and development in the Congo in the long term, will continue to maintain close relations with the Congolese government, and support local peace processes through mechanisms such as the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, and the United Nations.