South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an extension of troop deployments in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Wednesday. The number of soldiers and the exact duration of the extension remain undisclosed.
This decision comes amidst domestic criticism of the deployments, particularly after two South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members were killed in the DRC in February. The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s main opposition party, accused President Ramaphosa of sending troops into a war zone without adequate preparation.
Currently, 1,198 SANDF personnel are stationed in eastern DRC, working as part of a United Nations peacekeeping force battling rebel groups. In Mozambique, 1,495 South African troops will continue assisting the government in its fight against violent extremism in the northern regions, a mission they began in 2021.