The casket for the late LCpl Tseke Moffat Molapo is seen draped with the South African flag on a cannon during his funeral at Moroke village in Burgersfort. He was one of 14 South African soldiers killed in the DRC recently. File photo.Image: Thapelo Morebudi

Sadc to withdraw troops from DRC in phases

The mission has suffered losses in 2025

by · TimesLIVE

The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) said on Thursday a summit of regional heads of state had terminated the mandate of its troop deployment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and decided on a “phased withdrawal”.

“Summit terminated the mandate of SAMIDRC and directed the commencement of a phased withdrawal of SAMIDRC troops from the DRC,” Sadc said in a communique after the summit.

A document seen by Reuters in February said the status of the bloc's mission to DRC needed to be discussed with parties to the conflict.

The 16-member bloc deployed its mission in DRC in December 2023 to help the DRC army fight rebel groups. It extended its mandate late last year but the mission has suffered losses in 2025.

Reuters

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