Southern African countries to pull troops out of eastern Congo

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has announced the end of its military mission in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the loss of at least a dozen soldiers in January.

After a virtual summit, SADC confirmed a phased withdrawal of its troops, who had been deployed in December 2023 to assist the DRC in restoring peace amid long-standing conflict.

South Africa, the largest contributor to the mission,…