Pretoria: The withdrawal of South African peacekeepers, deployed to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), along with their military equipment, has begun, South African Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga announced yesterday.
According to Nam News Network, this announcement follows extensive regional diplomatic engagements, high-level consultations with several role players, and the progress in peace efforts within the eastern DRC, the minister noted.
Briefing the media in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, about the phased withdrawal of forces, including those of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Motshekga said the peacekeepers being withdrawn were part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the DRC, who were deployed in December 2023, with others from Malawi and Tanzania.
SANDF Chief, Rudzani Maphwanya provided details about how the withdrawal is being carried out. He said the movement would proceed by road fr
om the eastern DRC, through Rwanda, to Tanzania. The withdrawal is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
As part of this process, SADC is withdrawing its troops, together with their military equipment, from Goma and Sake, through a designated route via Rwanda, he said.
Maphwanya added that the soldiers will be kept for assessment and given the necessary support, before being allowed to reunite with their families.