The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has announced plans for a phased withdrawal of its troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The decision follows a virtual summit on Thursday, where regional leaders reviewed the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC. The SADC mission, deployed in December 2023 to support the Congolese government against armed groups such as M23, has suffered significant casualties.
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South Africa, which contributed the bulk of the troops, lost 14 soldiers in January, while Malawi lost three personnel. The phased withdrawal comes after more than a decade of unrest in the region.
SADC officials have not disclosed the full size of the deployment, though South Africa is estimated to have sent at least 1,000 soldiers to the mission.
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