Kinshasa hosts Central African Economic Bloc Leaders

Security issues were at the centre of Monday's summit of heads of state and government of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The conflict between the DRC and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebellion, of which Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of being a partisan, was also on the agenda.

According to DR Congo President ,Felix Tshisekedi; "The rise in tensions between my country, the Democratic Republic of Congo and one of its neighbouring countries, Rwanda, is a situation that I personally deplore and that I hope will normalise with the goodwill and determination of all."

Khassim Diagne a UN representative, who has been widely critized in a recent protest against MONUSCO for its ability to stop conflicts in DRC, was also present at the summit and shared his bid on the security situation in the region.

"To meet its challenges, we need an institutionally strong and operational ECCAS with adequate resources," he said.

The region's leaders also spoke out against the arms embargo imposed on the Central African Republic.

The heads of state agreed to "adhere to the Luanda (Angola) roadmap pertaining to the cessation of hostilities by the M23 rebel group and its immediate withdrawal from occupied positions" on Congolese territory, according to the final communiqué.

The regional organisation was created in 1983 and comprises 11 countries.