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Rwanda has announced its withdrawal from the Economic Community of Central African States (Eccas), a regional bloc comprising 11 member states. This decision follows a diplomatic dispute with the Democratic Republic of Congo over Rwanda’s involvement in the conflict in eastern DR Congo. Rwanda was set to assume the chairmanship role of Eccas, which rotates among its members, but was prevented from doing so at a meeting in Equatorial Guinea.
According to Rwanda, its right to take up the “chairmanship… was deliberately ignored in order to impose the DRC’s diktat”. As a result, Rwanda sees “no justification for remaining in an organisation whose current functioning runs counter to its founding principles and intended purpose”. The row comes as efforts to end the fighting in eastern DR Congo continue, with Rwanda and DR Congo working on a draft peace plan expected to be signed later this month, facilitated by US mediation.
The Eccas leaders at the summit “acknowledged the aggression against the Democratic Republic of Congo by Rwanda and ordered the aggressor country to withdraw its troops from Congolese soil”, as stated by the Congolese presidency. Until the dispute is resolved, Equatorial Guinea will remain in the chairman role. Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya criticized Rwanda, saying, “one cannot continually and voluntarily violate the principles that underpin our regional institutions and claim to want to preside over them”. He added that the Eccas decision “should inspire other regional organisations to adopt a firmer stance against Rwanda”.
Rwanda’s involvement in the conflict has been a point of contention, with accusations of supporting the M23 rebel group, which controls significant areas in eastern DR Congo, including the cities of Goma and Bukavu. The DR Congo government, the US, and France have all identified Rwanda as backing the M23. A UN report last year suggested up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the rebels. However, Rwanda denies these allegations, claiming its troops are deployed along the border to prevent the conflict from spilling over.
This is not Rwanda’s first time leaving Eccas; it previously withdrew in 2007 and rejoined several years later. Eccas aims to foster cooperation and strengthen regional integration in central Africa. The organization’s mission is crucial in promoting stability and cooperation among its member states.