President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended the deployment of over 1,000 South African troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by a further eight months to December.
In a letter to parliament, Ramaphosa said 1,198 members of the South African National Defence force (SANDF) serving with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission (MONUSCO) in the DRC would remain in the troubled Central African country until 20 December.
“Members of the SANDF employed will continue, under MONUSCO, with the effort to neutralise negative forces and illegal armed groups by restoring peace and security in the DRC under Operation Mistral over the of period 16 April 2024 to 20 December 2024,” Ramaphosa said.
The extension is expected to cost the South African taxpayer more than R800 million (about US$42 million).
Several SANDF members have been killed in eastern DRC during the past few months, triggering calls at home for the troops to be withdrawn from the troubled region.
JN/APA