Sour relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its tiny neighbour, Rwanda, are now hurting the regional Assembly business.
Lawmakers from DR Congo have allegedly boycotted a retreat of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) in the Rwandan capital.
They cited security concerns as the reason why they could not turn up at a two-day retreat in Kigali from February 15.
The Congolese MPs were also conspicuously absent from another meeting organized early this week for all lawmakers in Kampala.
Although no other reasons have been advanced for the snub, the new development has once again thrust the crisis in eastern DRC into the limelight.
The lawmakers from all seven East African Community (EAC) partner states had been required to attend both events “without exception.”
But the Congolese legislators alleged that attending the functions in both Kigali and Kampala would be at the peril of their lives.
The boycott comes less than two weeks after an extraordinary summit of the EAC leaders on the eastern Congo crisis.
DR Congo is a new entrant into the EAC, having joined the bloc last year. Its first batch of nine legislators was sworn in last December.
The Assembly, which is the legislative arm of the Community, had by yesterday not issued any statement on the saga.
Sources close to the Assembly have indicated, however, that the boycott was a setback for the Fifth Eala which has just started the business.
The Assembly now has a record of 63 elected members, with DR Congo in the EAC, and nine ex-officio members.
The latter are seven ministers responsible for EAC Affairs, the Secretary-General and Council to the Community, bringing the total to 72.
Eala was to use the two meetings in Kigali and Kampala to build capacity for its new members as well as plan its activities.
These were to take part in both cities this week with the Eala Commission which manages the activities of the House, warning on absenteeism.
The Commission requested the MPs to participate “in all pre-fixed activities and at the venues so determined without exception”.
An internal memo sent to the MPs from all seven states by the Commission secretary, Alex Obatre, directed them to physically participate in the meetings.
Failure to do so would see the lawmakers subjected to the Assembly Rules regarding non-attendance at House activities. Mr Obatre, who also doubles as the Clerk of Eala, apparently dismissed security fears for the DRC legislators while in Kigali and Kampala.
“We have always been doing everything possible within our powers to enhance the immunities and privileges that our members enjoy during official Eala activities in every partner state,” he observed.
The legislators from Congo or their government officials could not be reached for comment on the alleged boycott.
However, regional analysts have been quick to link it with soured relations between DR Congo and Rwanda since the resurgence of violence in North Kivu last year.
DR Congo has countless times accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels who have caused havoc in the area. Rwanda has repeatedly denied the claims.
The deteriorating relations have seen little movement of people between the two neighbouring countries and bonafide members of the EAC.
Mid-last year, the DRC imposed a ban on RwandaAir landing at any airport in its vast territory or flying over its vast land due to frosty relations.
An Eala member from Rwanda, Amb Fatuma Ndangiza, who is a member of the Commission, said the boycott by the DRC lawmakers was unfortunate.
“We shall continue requesting all members to abide by the rules because we have clear rules of conduct for members,” she said.
Amb Ndangiza said she and her colleagues had expected legislators from DR Congo to be in Kigali and Kampala for official duties.
“The EAC is about integration. So, if you (the DRC) decide not to join others, it means you are promoting an isolationist policy,” she was quoted as saying in Kigali.
She argued that the time has come for the DRC lawmakers and its other officials to know that they are part of the community.
“Matters of security for their country are already in the hands of the Summit of the EAC Heads of State. It shouldn’t be part of the workings of the Assembly,” she said.
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