Rwanda has officially withdrawn from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), accusing the regional bloc of failing in its duties and allowing itself to be manipulated by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The decision, which took effect on June 7, 2025, has sparked a wave of regional and international commentary.
The Rwandan government, through its Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, provided detailed insights into the decision, citing deep frustrations with ECCAS’s inability to uphold its founding principles.
At the centre of the controversy is Rwanda’s denied chairmanship of ECCAS during the 26th Ordinary Summit held in Equatorial Guinea. According to Nduhungirehe, Rwanda was due to assume leadership of the bloc under its alphabetical rotation policy, but DRC’s President Felix Tshisekedi opposed this, lobbying for Equatorial Guinea to continue as chair.
“This was an unjust move,” said the minister. “It is Rwanda’s right to lead ECCAS at this time. DRC, a country destabilising the region, has no moral ground to lecture others.”
Nduhungirehe said this action was the final straw in a series of manipulations led by the Congolese government within ECCAS. He also accused ECCAS member states of bowing to DRC’s pressure, saying it demonstrated the bloc’s loss of independence and credibility.
He further pointed to repeated cross-border attacks from Congolese territory, including shelling that killed 16 people and wounded over 160 in Rwanda. He accused Kinshasa of working with terrorist militias like the FDLR, responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and hiring foreign mercenaries including Colombians allegedly tied to U.S. security contractor Blackwater.
Rwanda’s move has drawn support from international observers. Tibor Nagy, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, described ECCAS as ineffective, saying the bloc “will be worse off without Rwanda than vice versa.” He called ECCAS “the least effective of Africa’s regional blocs,” doing little beyond holding meetings.
In spite of Rwanda’s withdrawal, peace negotiations with DRC appear to be continuing. Nduhungirehe noted that representatives from both countries recently met in Doha and signed a Declaration of Principles in Washington, D.C. However, he accused Kinshasa of duplicity, saying while DRC engages in peace talks, it continues military escalation and diplomatic sabotage.
“This shows that DR Congo may not be interested in peace,” Nduhungirehe said. “It is pretending in Doha and Washington, but its actions prove otherwise.”
He described ECCAS as a dysfunctional organisation plagued by poor governance, lack of financial audits, and a non-performing secretariat. According to him, since 2020, the ECCAS Commission has not conducted a single financial audit, and many member states have failed to pay their contributions.
“Manipulation was so high,” the minister added, “that even the ECCAS presidency began sounding like DRC’s foreign ministry.”
The decision marks a new diplomatic rupture in Central Africa and underscores the growing tensions between Rwanda and DRC, particularly over the security crisis in eastern Congo and the involvement of regional and international actors.
