{Rwanda has expressed its intention to rejoin the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
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The move was announced by Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo who attended the closure of this Year Loango Military exercise held in Brazzaville.
The head of the Rwandan diplomacy was invited to attend a military maneuver that brought together troops from eight of the ten countries that account ECCAS.
The operation took place in Loango, a village on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, located 15 kilometers from Pointe-Noire (south), the economic capital of Congo.
Chad, Rwanda and Gabon participated in the exercise that was an opportunity to test the operational capability of the rapid deployment and to define common operational procedures.
Commenting on Rwanda’s membership to the ECCAS, Mushikiwabo told press in Brazzaville that Rwanda is a country that belongs to Central Africa as well as in East Africa.
“In reality we had not left ECCAS, but we had suspended our participation because since the 1994 genocide, Rwanda is a country in reconstruction. So we thought we could not contribute fully to ECCAS.”
She says Rwanda has asked for two and a half years to rejoin other countries in Central Africa.
She added that the next summit will see the reinstatement of Rwanda within the family of ECCAS.
Mushikiwabo explained that “Rwanda is a stabilized country and ready to contribute to ECCAS. It is with great pleasure to see Rwanda returning to the ECCAS.”
Founded in 1984, ECCAS comprises ten countries: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tome & Principe and Chad.
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