DRCongo seek South Africa’s support to rebuild FARDC
The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has expressed interest in rebuilding and strengthening its national army, the FARDC, through renewed military cooperation with South Africa, drawing on a framework similar to the Pretoria Agreement signed in 2004.
The request comes shortly after South Africa began withdrawing its troops from eastern DRC, where they had been deployed under a Southern African regional mission fighting the AFC/M23 alliance. Pretoria has also announced plans to repatriate its forces serving under the United Nations peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO.
The South African Presidency stated that the withdrawal from MONUSCO is intended to consolidate military resources for redeployment to other national priorities.
On February 21, 2026, the DRC’s Minister of Defence, Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita, traveled to Pretoria for talks with his South African counterpart, Angie Motshekga, aimed at deepening bilateral military cooperation.
According to a statement from the Congolese Ministry of Defence, the two officials held closed-door discussions covering various areas of defense and strategic collaboration. A key item on the agenda was the possible review of the 2004 military agreement signed between the two countries.
Both sides agreed to establish a team of experts to examine potential areas of cooperation, building on the provisions of the 2004 Pretoria accord, and to make recommendations that could form the basis of a new agreement.
The original Pretoria Agreement was signed in June 2004, shortly after the DRC emerged from years of devastating conflict. At the time, South Africa committed to providing military training, equipment, and technical support to help restructure and professionalize the Congolese armed forces.
The context today, however, differs significantly from that of 2004. Unlike the post-war environment that followed inclusive peace negotiations, there is currently no comprehensive national dialogue bringing together Congolese stakeholders to resolve the underlying political and security disputes fueling renewed armed conflict.
The Congolese government is actively seeking multiple international partners to modernize and reinforce its armed forces, which have long faced criticism over structural weaknesses and limited operational capacity. If discussions progress positively, the United States is also expected to contribute through training programs, equipment provision, and intelligence cooperation.
