South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi will withdraw troops eastern Congo

Harare: African leaders on Thursday announced the withdrawal of thousands of troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi who were sent to quell insurgencies in mineral-rich eastern Congo, where M23 rebels have killed some of the peacekeepers while overrunning the region this year.

Troops from the three countries were sent in 2023 under the banner of the Southern African Development Community, or SADC, but public opposition to the deployment has surged since 14 South African and three Malawian peacekeepers were killed by the rebels in January.

No timetable was announced for the pull-out of troops, who have numbered up to 3,000, but it would be a “phased withdrawal.”