ECCAS

The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), known in French as Communauté Économique des États de l'Afrique Centrale (CEEAC), was established by treaty signed in Libreville, Gabon on 18 October 1983 and became operational in 1985. It was created to foster economic cooperation and a common market among Central African states, building on the older customs union UDEAC (now CEMAC).

Current member states are Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Rwanda rejoined in 2015 after an earlier withdrawal. The Secretariat is headquartered in Libreville.

ECCAS is recognised by the African Union as one of the eight pillar Regional Economic Communities (RECs) underpinning the African Economic Community envisioned by the 1991 Abuja Treaty. It is also a building block of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Beyond trade, ECCAS has developed a peace and security architecture, including the Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa (COPAX), a Multinational Force of Central Africa (FOMAC), and an early warning mechanism (MARAC). It has deployed or authorised missions in the Central African Republic, notably MICOPAX (2008–2013), which was later transferred to the African Union as MISCA.

In 2019–2020, ECCAS underwent an institutional reform: the Secretariat was transformed into a Commission, and a revised treaty entered into force in 2020 to strengthen supranational competencies, harmonise structures with the African Union, and accelerate the free movement of persons and goods.

Progress on economic integration has been uneven, hampered by overlapping membership with CEMAC, conflict in member states, and limited intra-regional trade, which remains among the lowest of any African REC.