Rwanda has announced its withdrawal from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), deepening a regional crisis linked to the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The decision follows ECCAS’s controversial move to block Rwanda from assuming the rotating chairmanship at a summit in Equatorial Guinea. Instead, the bloc extended Equatorial Guinea’s leadership, citing unresolved tensions with the DRC. Rwanda condemned the decision as politically motivated, accusing ECCAS of being “instrumentalized” by the Congolese government and undermining the organization’s founding principles.
At the heart of the dispute is Rwanda’s alleged support for the M23 rebel group, which this year seized major cities in eastern Congo, including Goma and Bukavu. The DRC, supported by the United Nations, the United States, and France, accuses Rwanda of deploying troops and arms to back M23 — claims Kigali has consistently denied. ECCAS leaders, echoing Kinshasa’s accusations, demanded Rwanda withdraw its forces from Congolese territory. Rwanda rejected the charge, stating its forces are only defending against cross-border threats from Hutu militias linked to the 1994 genocide.
While Rwanda’s departure timeline remains unclear, its exit marks a significant rupture in regional diplomacy. Peace talks, mediated by the U.S. and Qatar, are ongoing, but tensions remain high amid fears of wider conflict in the resource-rich Great Lakes region.