South Africa has prolonged the deployment of its troops in conflict-affected regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and northern Mozambique, as announced by the presidency.
President Cyril Ramaphosa stated in a Wednesday evening statement that he had notified the National Assembly regarding the extension of the deployment of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) in accordance with various international commitments.
Specifically, 1,198 SANDF personnel will continue to serve in the DR Congo as part of the UN peacekeeping force, assisting the Congolese government in combatting various illegal armed groups that are causing harm to local communities.
Ramaphosa stated that 1,495 South African troops will remain in Mozambique to assist the government in combating violent extremism in the northern region.
They will continue their duties of countering terrorism and violent extremism from April 16, 2024, to December 31, 2024, with an estimated expenditure of 984.3 million South African rand ($51.8 million).
The northern region of Mozambique, particularly Cabo Delgado province, has experienced unrest for years, with an armed militant group believed to be linked to the Daesh/ISIS terrorist organization. The insurgency has displaced over 1 million people and resulted in hundreds of fatalities since 2017.
Ramaphosa announced that South African troops will participate in Operation VIKELA to address acts of terrorism and violent extremism in Mozambique’s northern regions.
The northern province of Mozambique, which is abundant in natural gas, has drawn interest from companies like France’s Total SE, which intends to resume construction on its significant liquefied natural gas project by mid-2024.
South African troops have been deployed in Mozambique since 2021 and in the DR Congo since earlier this year.
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