South Africa to withdraw its troops from UN peacekeeping mission in Congo

South Africa will withdraw its troops from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said in a statement late on Saturday.

Ramaphosa has told U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the decision, which was influenced by the need to "realign" the resources of South Africa's armed forces, the statement said.

South Africa has supported U.N. peacekeeping efforts in Congo for 27 years and has more than 700 soldiers deployed there.

The U.N. mission had a total of nearly 11,000 troops and police deployed when its mandate was extended in December.

The U.N. mission's mandate is to counter the many rebel groups active in Congo's restive east, where conflict has raged for decades and where there has been a recent escalation in fighting.

"South Africa will work jointly with the U.N. to finalise the timelines and other modalities of the withdrawal, which will be completed before the end of 2026," the statement added.

South Africa will continue to maintain close bilateral ties with Congo's government and support other multilateral efforts to bring lasting peace to Congo, Ramaphosa's office said.

-Reporting by Alexander Winning; Editing by Aidan Lewis/Reuters