The Rwandan government officially announced on Saturday its withdrawal from the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC), denouncing an “instrumentalisation” of the organization by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with the support of some member states. In a communiqué published in Kigali, the Rwandan authorities pointed the finger at the holding of the 26th ordinary summit in Malabo, where Rwanda’s right to ensure the rotating presidency as provided for in Article 6 of the Treaty would have been ignored in favour of the DRC. Kigali accuses the organisation of having deliberately excluded his candidacy to impose what it calls the Congolese “diktat”. He also stressed the need to ensure that the Union’s external borders remain open to all countries. “The silence and inaction that followed confirm the failure of the organisation to enforce its own rules”, the communiqué said. In view of the fact that its fundamental rights are no longer guaranteed within the organisation, Kigali considers that its continued membership of the CEEAC no longer has a raison d’être. “Rwanda sees no reason to maintain its membership of an organisation whose functioning is now contrary to its principles and its utility”, the text concludes.
Regional tensions: the DRC pointed with the finger
