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.
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France recorded over 100 drowning deaths in just one month — a 58% rise from last year — as unusually high temperatures drove more people to water, public health officials say.
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Germany’s public debt is projected to climb from 62.5% to 74% of GDP by 2030, driven by record defence and infrastructure spending, according to a report by the European rating agency Scope.
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A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
Dozens of international and domestic flights were cancelled or delayed after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted on Monday, but Bali’s main airport remains operational.
The 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was successfully held in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, highlighting the region’s revival and the deepening economic cooperation among member states.
French member of parliament Olivier Marleix was found dead at his home on Monday, with suicide being considered a possible cause.
Washington and Ottawa are once again at odds, as President Trump unveils a sharp new tariff on Canadian goods—citing drug trafficking and trade disputes just weeks ahead of a key deadline.
France recorded over 100 drowning deaths in just one month — a 58% rise from last year — as unusually high temperatures drove more people to water, public health officials say.
Migration offset natural decline for the fourth consecutive year, pushing the European Union’s population to an historic high of 450.4 million in 2024, according to Eurostat figures released on Friday.
Germany’s public debt is projected to climb from 62.5% to 74% of GDP by 2030, driven by record defence and infrastructure spending, according to a report by the European rating agency Scope.
Turkish President Erdoğan and Somali President Mohamud met in Ankara to reaffirm strategic ties, with a focus on counterterrorism and regional cooperation.
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