Rwanda has officially pulled out of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), citing political bias and an erosion of the bloc’s founding values. The decision follows a diplomatic fallout with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over Rwanda’s alleged support for rebel activity in Congo’s troubled east.
The announcement came shortly after a tense ECCAS summit held over the weekend in Equatorial Guinea, where Rwanda was unexpectedly blocked from assuming the bloc’s rotating chairmanship—a position it had been in line to take over.
Instead, member states voted to retain Equatorial Guinea as chair, prompting immediate backlash from Kigali. Rwanda’s foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the decision as “a violation of the principles of fairness and regional cooperation.” The ministry accused the DRC of “politicizing and instrumentalizing” the bloc to push its own agenda.
“We see no justification for remaining in an organization whose current functioning undermines its own foundational goals,” the statement read.
At the heart of the fallout lies an escalating regional conflict. The DRC, along with international allies like the United States and France, has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group—a militia responsible for seizing key towns in eastern Congo earlier this year in an offensive that left thousands dead and displaced hundreds of thousands.
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The government of President Félix Tshisekedi welcomed ECCAS’s decision to deny Rwanda the bloc’s leadership, saying member states had “acknowledged the aggression against the Democratic Republic of Congo by Rwanda and ordered the aggressor country to withdraw its troops from Congolese soil.”
Rwanda, however, has long denied the accusations, insisting its troops are deployed only defensively near its border to prevent potential attacks from Congolese militias.
The ECCAS, founded in the 1980s to foster regional cooperation in security and development, has often struggled to stay neutral amid the political and military rivalries of its member states. Rwanda’s exit is a major blow to the bloc’s cohesion and may complicate peacebuilding efforts in the Great Lakes region.
While fighting continues in parts of eastern Congo, international actors including the African Union, the United States, and Qatar have stepped up mediation efforts. Analysts say a successful peace deal between Rwanda and the DRC could pave the way for increased stability—and potentially unlock major foreign investment in Congo’s vast reserves of cobalt, gold, and other strategic minerals.
“The stakes are high, not just for Rwanda and Congo, but for the entire region,” said political analyst Grace Nyaboke. “If ECCAS cannot serve as a platform for dialogue, it raises questions about the viability of regional diplomacy in Central Africa.”
For now, Rwanda’s withdrawal from ECCAS adds another layer of uncertainty to an already volatile situation. With trust eroding between neighbors and diplomatic channels narrowing, the path to peace looks increasingly steep.
