South African President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the deployment of the country's troops in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) maritime security strategy, the South African presidency said in a statement.
"President Cyril Ramaphosa has informed the National Assembly and the (acting) Speaker on the extension of the employment of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) in various international obligations," the presidency said.
The extension of the agreement will leave 1,198 South African troops in eastern DR Congo, which has been plagued by insecurity due to rebel activity, according to the statement.
The presidency added that 1,495 SANDF troops will continue their operations in Mozambique, where they have been assisting the government in the fight against terrorists in the north of the country since 2021.
In addition, the president ordered the deployment of 200 military personnel to meet international obligations under the SADC Maritime Security Strategy.
"This deployment will help counter the threat of piracy and other related illegal maritime activities along the southern African coast of the Indian Ocean," the presidency said.
The SADC contingent is replacing the East African Community force in eastern DR Congo, which was withdrawn late last year at the request of the Central African country's government.
In February, the South African government announced a decision to deploy almost 3,000 soldiers to the east of the DRC as part of the SADC mission.
As for Mozambique, the terrorist groups Ansar al-Sunna and ISCAP (a branch of the Daesh*) have been operating in the northern Cabo Delgado province for several years, trying to take control of the territory of Mozambique.
The insurgency has prompted a military response since July 2021, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community, liberating districts near natural gas projects, but new waves of attacks have emerged in the south of the region.
*Daesh, also known as ISIL/ISIS/IS, is a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.