Kigali: Rwanda has announced its withdrawal from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), intensifying diplomatic tensions rooted in the ongoing conflict between Kigali and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The move comes amid mounting regional and international pressure over Rwanda’s alleged support for the M23 rebel group, which has destabilized eastern Congo.
Kigali had anticipated assuming the rotating chairmanship of the 11-member regional bloc during a summit held on Saturday in Equatorial Guinea. However, ECCAS decided to extend Equatorial Guinea’s tenure instead, prompting strong condemnation from Rwanda’s foreign ministry, which called the decision a violation of its rights.
In a statement, Rwanda accused Congo of “instrumentalizing” the bloc and declared that there was “no justification for remaining in an organization whose current functioning runs counter to its founding principles.” It remains unclear whether Rwanda’s departure will take immediate effect or if further procedural steps are required.
The office of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi welcomed ECCAS’s stance, stating that 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.”
Rising Regional Tensions
The rupture comes in the wake of M23’s military advances earlier this year, during which the rebel group seized control of two major cities in eastern Congo. The offensive led to thousands of casualties and triggered fears of a broader regional conflict.
Congo, the United Nations, and several Western governments have accused Rwanda of providing military and logistical support to M23, including troops and arms. Rwanda has consistently denied these accusations, insisting that its forces operate in self-defense against the Congolese military and Hutu militia groups tied to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. That genocide, which left around 1 million people—mostly ethnic Tutsis—dead, continues to cast a long shadow over regional dynamics.
Geopolitical and Economic Stakes
Efforts to mediate the conflict have involved multiple international actors, including the United States and Qatar. Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration had expressed hopes of brokering a peace agreement between the two countries that could unlock billions in Western investment in the mineral-rich region. Eastern Congo is home to critical natural resources such as tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, and lithium—minerals vital for the global tech and clean energy industries.
ECCAS, founded in the 1980s to promote regional integration in economic and security matters, has struggled in recent years to maintain unity amid growing political and military tensions between member states.
