South African troops who are withdrawing from the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo will be back home by this month, according to the country's defense chief. Under the phased withdrawal, which began on the 29th of April, the South African troops will exit the DRC via Rwanda and Tanzania, from where they will return to South Africa by sea and air. The soldiers are part of the South African Development Community (SADC) regional force that was deployed in the DRC in December 2023 during a resurgence of the M23 armed movement.