South African leaders have announced that they will draw their troops from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where they helped the Government fight against rebel forces.
The decision to start with a “gradual withdrawal” was made during the virtual summit of the 16-member Southern African Development Community (Sadc) on Thursday.
The troops were sent two years ago to support the fight against the Congol army, the M23 rebels supported in Rwandan.
But at least 19 soldiers from South Africa, Malavia and Tanzania were killed when M23 captured the key city of Gom in January.
Sadac leaders said that although the troops would be drawn from Dr. Kong, the block continued to “support interventions aimed at bringing permanent peace.”
The M23 continued to contribute to the terrain in Eastern Dr. Kong, and last month seized the second largest city in the region, Bukava.
