The meeting is being held in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the leading country of the organization, according to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Heads of 11 countries and government representatives gathered in Kinshasa for the ECCAS meeting.
Among the heads of state who participated in the meeting were the President of Chad, Gen Mahamat Idriss Deby, Faustin-Archange Touadéra of Central Africa and Carlos Manuel Villa of São Tomé and Príncipe.
Other dignitaries include the Vice President of Burundi, Prosper Bazombanza, the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue Teodorín, the Prime Minister of Gabon, Mrs. Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola, Ambassador Uncle Antonio.
The 21st meeting of ECCASS, which has the theme “Health, Education, Culture”, is expected to include the decisions made in the last meeting of Ministers on the issues of security, family integration and energy.
Among other things expected is a joint review of the political and security issues that threaten Central Africa, the state of affairs between Rwanda and the DRC and how these countries could continue to strengthen relations. It also includes the impact of the war in Ukraine on the economy of this country.
The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) was established in 1983 and unites Central African countries including Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo-Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Sao Tome & Principe and Rwanda had left it in 2007, but returned to it in 2016.