Rwanda quits Central African bloc in dispute with Congo

Rwanda has pronounced its withdrawal from the Central African bloc after a diplomatic row over its involvement in the conflict in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Republic of Rwanda was supposed to take up the Chairman role of the Economic Community of East African States (Eccas), which rotates between 11 member states in East Africa.

This Chairmanship role was prevented from happening at a meeting on Saturday in Equatorial Guinea.

Pronouncing its decision to leave Eccas, Rwanda said its right to take up the “Chairmanship… was deliberately ignored in order to impose the DRC’s diktat”.

As a result, it saw “no justification for remaining in an organization 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.

Following US mediation, Rwanda and DR Congo are working on a draft peace plan that is expected to be signed later this month.

According to a statement from the Congolese Presidency, “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”.

It added that until the dispute was resolved, it was decided that Equatorial Guinea would remain in the chairman role “to the detriment of Rwanda”.

In comment directed to Rwanda, Congolese government spokesman, Patrick Muyaya said that “one cannot continually and voluntarily violate the principles that underpin our regional institutions and claim to want to preside over them”.

Adding that, the Eccas decision “should inspire other regional organisations to adopt a firmer stance against Rwanda”.

Rwanda has been accused of supporting M23 rebels in the east of DR Congo. The group has made major advances at the beginning of the year, taking the key regional cities of Goma and Bukavu.

DR Congo’s government, the US and France have identified Rwanda as backing the M23.

Last year, a UN experts’ report said that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the rebels.

But Rwanda has denied the accusations, saying instead that its troops were deployed along its border to prevent the conflict spilling over into its territory.

In 2007, Rwanda left Eccas, whose mission is to foster co-operation and strengthen regional integration in central Africa. It rejoined several years later and now left again.