19 Oct 2007: ISS Today: Is There Hope for ECCAS?

19 October 2007: Is There Hope for ECCAS?

 

Recent developments involving the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) raise a critical question: are these the kicks of a dying horse, or is this particular horse regaining consciousness?

 

ECCAS is composed of ten central African states: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe. Rwanda, one of the founding member states, quit ECCAS in June 2007 in favour of the East African Community (EAC). Like Rwanda, Burundi also joined the EAC, leaving its attachment to ECCAS in doubt. The DRC, on the other hand, is embracing membership of both ECCAS and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Withdrawals and divided loyalties pose a significant threat to the viability of ECCAS.

 

ECCAS was created in 1983 when the Customs and Economic Union of Central Africa (Union Douanière des Etats de l`Afrique Centrale-UDEAC) urged its member states to widen the trading area.  When the treaty establishing ECCAS was signed in Libreville on 18 October 1983 by UDEAC member states (Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon) and the members of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes States –CEPGL (Burundi, DRC and Rwanda), a formidable trading bloc emerged. ECCAS subsequently became operational in1985 but soon found itself handicapped by conflicts in the region and by the failure of the members to pay their dues. It was during this period that the organization woke up to the need to go beyond economic issues and incorporate efforts towards peace and security into its wider operations. In February 1999, ECCAS member states created the Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa (COPAX) with the aim ofpromoting, maintaining and consolidating peace and security in Central Africa. COPAX entered into force in January 2004.  The COPAX Protocol set up two important mechanisms: the Multinational Peace Keeping Force in Central Africa (FOMAC), and the Early Warning Observation and Monitoring System for Central Africa (MARAC).

 

Both mechanisms have been largely ineffective. Conflicts have continued uncontrollably among ECCAS member states, while funding to the organisation has shown little result. Could this account for Rwanda and Burundi looking to other regional organisations? Are other countries likely to follow suit? At a time when ECCAS should be playing a central role in conflict intervention among its member states, the organization remains feeble and disempowered as member states continue to defect. 

 

Despite the challenges facing ECCAS, the organization continues to pursue new projects. One recent endeavour is a joint European Union (EU) and ECCAS project that is aimed at supporting the organisation’s Department of Human Integration, Peace, Stability and Security (Département de l’Intégration Humaine, de la Paix, de la Stabilité et de la Sécurité -DIHPSS) in fulfilling its role of detection, prevention and management of conflict within the Central African region.

 

The project envisages equipping MARAC with early warning equipment that will enable MARAC to examine, analyse and react in a timely fashion to crises in the region. Another goal is to capacitate ECCAS in mediating in member states’ conflicts. The project also aims to equip ECCAS to work closely with the member states in the fight against factors promoting conflict, such as the illicit proliferation of small arms, cross border crime and the illegal exploitation of the region’s natural resources. Another essential component of the EU support will be the establishment and coordination of a civil society network within Central Africa that will provide specialised support to ECCAS. 

 

In an effort to embark on implementing the project an inaugural seminar was held in Libreville from 26-28, in which civil society experts on Central Africa met to discuss ways in which ECCAS could strengthen its relationship with civil society in the region. A follow up seminar is scheduled for Kinshasa in late November 2007.

 

The project started in February 2007 and has a time frame of three and half years, with a total budget of € 4 million, financed by the European Development Fund (Fonds européen de développement - FED). To borrow the sentiment of the EU representative during the closure of the civil society seminar in Libreville, ‘May the current efforts by ECCAS not turn out to be another venture for enriching airline companies.’ Let us hope that instead this will be a worthwhile effort that will contribute to putting ECCAS on track.

 

Nelson Alusala, Senior Researcher: Arms Management Programme, Pretoria (Tshwane)