South Africa says its peacekeeping troops are withdrawing from rebel-held eastern Congo

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The South African armed forces said Thursday they had begun withdrawing their peacekeeping troops from rebel-controlled eastern Congo.

The South African National Defense Force said the troops began moving out earlier this week and would travel through neighboring Rwanda to Tanzania and fly home from there.

Peacekeeping troops from Malawi and Tanzania have also started withdrawing from Congo. The three countries contributed soldiers to a southern African peacekeeping force but they had been left trapped in eastern Congo after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels launched an offensive in late January and took control of the strategic city of Goma.

Fourteen South African and three Malaiwan soldiers were killed in fighting with M23 in January. The southern African regional body decided in March to end its peacekeeping mission early and bring the troops home.

Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said on X that his country was providing safe passage and an escort for the peacekeepers and their equipment.

On Wednesday, hundreds of stranded Congolese government soldiers and police officers, along with their families, were also starting to be transferred from Goma back to the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which was escorting them.

M23 controls Goma and a second major city in eastern Congo and is supported by around 4,000 troops from Rwanda, according to experts from the United Nations.

Congo and Rwanda have held talks mediated by Qatar and supported by the United States and say they are working toward a peace agreement.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa