Since 2010, Rwanda withdrew itself from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). This absence within the biggest grouping of Central Africa will be for short-term according to the Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs. Participating on 27th October 2014 in a military operation including troops coming from eight countries of the community, Louise Mushikiwabo announced the return of his country into the big family.

“Rwanda is henceforth a country very far from tragedy (genocide of 1994), that stabilized itself and is ready to contribute to ECCAS, so at the next ECCAS summit that is going to take place in a few weeks, Rwanda is going to reinstate this organization”, indicated the Minister who explained the withdrawal of his country by the financial crisis that has shaken Rwanda since the genocide of 1994.

“We suspended our participation because, since the genocide of 1994, Rwanda has been a country in reconstruction. Thus, we thought that we could not completely contribute to ECCAS”, specified Louise Mushikiwabo.

Created in 1984, ECCAS has for mission “promotion and strengthening of harmonious cooperation and dynamic, well-balanced and self-maintained development in all domains of economic and social activity, particularly in the domains of industry, transport and communications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, business, customs, monetary and financial questions, human resources, tourism, education, culture, science and technology and movement of people in order to realize collective autonomy, raise the standard of living of populations …”

It includes at present ten countries: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Republic of Africa, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe and Chad.