South Africa has prolonged its troops' peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique.

South Africa has prolonged the presence of its military forces in the conflict-stricken Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and northern Mozambique, as announced by the presidency.

President Cyril Ramaphosa disclosed in a statement on Wednesday evening that he had informed the National Assembly about the extension of the deployment of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) due to various international obligations.

He specified that 1,198 SANDF personnel would continue their mission in the DR Congo as part of the UN peacekeeping force, supporting the Congolese government in combating various illegal armed groups causing distress in local communities.

Additionally, Ramaphosa stated that 1,495 South African troops would remain stationed in Mozambique to assist the government in countering violent extremism in the northern region.

"Members of the SANDF employed will continue with their responsibilities of combating acts of terrorism and violent extremism, over the period April 16, 2024, to December 31, 2024, at the expenditure estimate of 984.3 million South African rand ($51.8 million)," he said.

Northern Mozambique, especially the Cabo Delgado province, has been restive for years, with one armed militant group there believed to be affiliated with the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group.

Over 1 million people have been displaced from their homes as a result of the insurgency there and hundreds killed since 2017.

Ramaphosa stated that South African troops will assist in combating acts of terrorism and violent extremism in the northern regions of Mozambique under Operation VIKELA.

The northern province of Mozambique holds significant natural gas reserves, with companies like France's Total SE intending to resume construction on their large liquefied natural gas project in the country by mid-2024.

South African troops have been deployed in Mozambique since 2021 and in the DR Congo since early this year.