A first contingent of South African troops repatriated from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo arrived in Pretoria Friday night, the defence ministry said.

Videos shared by the ministry showed soldiers in uniform dancing and chanting on arrival at the Waterkloof airforce base in the capital Pretoria, welcomed by airbase staff with cheers and fist-bumps.

The troops were deployed under a Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission sent to the war-torn country in December 2023 to help restore peace and security in the region.

But the SADC said in March it would end its military mission in the mineral-rich area after 17 of its soldiers were killed.

Return of equipment

Earlier this year, fighting in the region erupted once more when the Rwandan-backed M23 force seized large swathes of DRC's north and south Kivu provinces - both of which border Rwanda.

Defence Minister Angie Motshekga announced the return of the first group of 249 soldiers to journalists on Friday.

The army was "working around the clock" with its partners in the region to ensure its equipment was safely returned, she added.

"We shall not leave even a pin behind," she said, repeating a statement made last month by defence chief General Rudzani Maphwanya.

Technical move

Maphwanya said in May that the evacuation from the DRC was not a sign of weakness but a "technical move that allows peace and mediation to continue".

Calls for South Africa's troops to be pulled out mounted at home after 14 of their soldiers were killed in the region in January.

Most were from the SADC mission but at least two were deployed as part of a United Nations force.

Soldiers from Malawi and Tanzania participating in the mission have also been killed.