The DR Congo and Mozambique are receiving more South African troops

The military of South Africa will continue to station troops in the war-torn countries of Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique, according to a statement released by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday.

The extension would keep 1,198 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for an indeterminate period of time. They are a part of a UN peacekeeping force that is assisting the DRC in fighting rebel groups.

Additionally, the announcement claimed that 1,495 members of the SANDF would carry on with their activities in Mozambique, where since 2021 they have assisted the government in combating violent extremism in the country’s northern regions.

This year, local scrutiny of South Africa’s military deployments overseas has increased following the deaths of two SANDF soldiers and the injuries of three more in February due to a mortar explosion in Congo.

Ramaphosa was charged with sending troops into a conflict zone without adequate preparation by the main opposition Democratic Alliance party in South Africa.