A third contingent of South African peacekeepers deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of a regional stabilization mission returned home Monday, landing at Bram Fischer International Airport in Bloemfontein.
The arrival of nearly 220 troops marks the ongoing drawdown of South Africa’s involvement in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in eastern DRC. The latest return follows the arrival of 249 soldiers on Friday (13 June) and 257 on Sunday (15 June), with a fourth group expected on Tuesday.
The 16-member SADC bloc launched the mission in May 2023 to help stabilize the eastern DRC, a region ravaged by decades of armed conflict. However, the bloc terminated the mission’s mandate in March 2025 and began a phased withdrawal of troops and equipment in April.
The decision comes amid deteriorating security conditions in eastern Congo, where the M23 rebel group has seized large swathes of territory since December 2024, including the key cities of Goma and Bukavu in North and South Kivu provinces. Fighting has escalated despite ongoing mediation efforts led by the emir of Qatar.
According to South African defence officials, 14 South African soldiers were among 20 peacekeepers killed in clashes with M23 rebels since the beginning of the deployment. The Congolese government blames neighbouring Rwanda for backing the rebels, a claim Rwanda continues to deny.
The humanitarian toll is mounting. According to DRC Prime Minister Judith Suminwa, more than 7,000 people have been killed this year due to the violence. The United Nations estimates that more than 7.8 million people have been displaced across the country as a result of the protracted conflict.
With the SADC mission winding down and the security situation still volatile, attention is now turning to regional and international diplomatic efforts to prevent further deterioration and to support a political resolution to the crisis.
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according t...
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation o...
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. Presiden...
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airport remains closed until further notice.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed changes to voter lists.
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment