Rwanda has announced its withdrawal from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), accusing the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) of “instrumentalising” the bloc with the support of member states.
“Rwanda’s right to the rotating presidency, as stipulated in Article 6 of the treaty [establishing ECCAS], was deliberately ignored” with instructions from DRC, the country’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.
It cited Rwanda’s exclusion from the 22nd ordinary summit of ECCAS in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa in 2023 under the chairmanship of DRC.
The Rwandan government said the situation is a new illustration of the organisation’s “excesses” and that it no longer sees any reason to remain a member of an organisation whose functioning runs contrary to its principles and usefulness.
Meanwhile, the appointment of the new chairperson of the ECCAS, initially scheduled for Saturday’s summit, was postponed after DRC reportedly opposed the transfer of the rotational chair from Equatorial Guinea to Rwanda.
The significant move by Kigali announced at the end of the 26th ordinary summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, symbolises the escalating tension between Rwanda and DRC concerning the conflict in eastern DRC.
Reports said efforts by authorities earlier to try to ease tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali in closed-door meetings on the sidelines of the summit fell flat.
Rwanda’s Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente attended the summit.
DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels fighting in eastern DRC, which Kigali denies.
ECCAS has criticised the rebel group and called for the “immediate withdrawal of the Rwandan forces from Congolese territory”.
