Rwanda Exits Central African Bloc over DR Congo Dispute

Addis Ababa, June 8, 2025 (ENA)—Rwanda quits the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) after being denied chairmanship, accusing DR Congo of politicizing the bloc amid tensions over Rwanda-backed M23 rebel activity in eastern Congo.

Rwanda has announced its withdrawal from the ECCAS as part of the escalation in reginal diplomatic tensions tied to ongoing violence in eastern Congo.

The move came after the 11-member regional bloc declined to transfer its rotating chairmanship to Rwanda during a meeting Saturday in Equatorial Guinea, opting instead to extend Equatorial Guinea’s term.

Kigali’s Foreign Ministry condemned the decision as a breach of ECCAS’s founding principles and accused the bloc of being politically manipulated by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 

“There is no justification for remaining in an organization whose current functioning runs counter to its founding principles,” Rwanda said in a formal statement, citing what it called the DRC's "instrumentalization" of ECCAS.

It remains unclear whether Rwanda’s withdrawal takes immediate effect or whether further procedures are required to finalize its exit.

The rupture comes as M23 rebels, widely reported to be backed by Rwanda, continue to mount a major offensive in eastern Congo. Earlier this year, the group seized two of the region’s largest cities, leaving thousands dead and triggering fears of a broader regional conflict.

The government of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi welcomed ECCAS’s decision to sideline Rwanda, saying in a statement 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.”

The M23 conflict has drawn widespread condemnation, with the United Nations and multiple governments accusing Rwanda of arming and supporting the rebel movement. Kigali has consistently denied the allegations, claiming that its forces were acting in self-defense against Congolese army units and ethnic Hutu militias linked to perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.