According to media reports, since September 14, SANDF aircraft â€" a Boeing 737 and an Il-76 â€" have been transporting soldiers and materiel from Lubumbashi and Kinshasa to Pretoria.
The phased withdrawal comes as SANDF faces disputes with the South African National Defence Union over unpaid allowances for troops deployed in the DRC.
South Africa's troops were part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the DRC. The block decided to end its deployment in March 2025, with repatriation formally starting in May. At that time, a large number of soldiers and equipment transited through Rwanda en route to South Africa.
The drawdown came amid concerns over worsening insecurity and humanitarian challenges in eastern Congo.
SADC had deployed its military intervention force, SAMIDRC, in December 2023 with an offensive mandate to defeat M23 and other armed groups. The force consisted of troops from South Africa, Tanzania, and Malawi.
Although the mission was extended by one year in November 2024 due to persistent hostilities between M23 rebels and the Congolese army, it struggled to meet its objectives and suffered significant battlefield losses, particularly during the offensives that led to the capture of Goma earlier this year.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/south-african-troops-not-yet-fully-withdrawn-from-drc
