ECCAS: Introduction

The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) is a Regional Economic Community recognized by the African Union, consisting of 11 member states. Established in 1983 and revised in 2019, its mandate covers political, security, and economic cooperation. Despite its goals of regional integration, the organization faces challenges including low levels of coordination and a fragmented currency landscape. The region's member states exhibit significant economic disparity, ranging from low-income countries like Burundi and Chad to nominally upper-middle-income countries such as Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

• ECCAS was established on 18 October 1983 and consists of 11 member states: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
• The organization's mandate was expanded during a 1998 revival to include security concerns alongside its original economic focus to address the region's conflict-prone nature.
• Regional integration is hindered by limited coordination and a diverse array of currencies, including the Kwanza, Burundian Franc, CFA Franc, Congolese Franc, Rwandan Franc, and Dobra, which complicates trade and financial transactions.
• There is significant economic stratification among member states: Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are nominally upper-middle-income; Angola, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, and São Tomé and Príncipe are lower-middle-income; and Burundi, CAR, Chad, DR Congo, and Rwanda are low-income.

APA

Mkhize-Malebo, T. (2026). ECCAS: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=ECCAS&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

Mkhize-Malebo, Tumi. ECCAS: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=ECCAS&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mkhize-Malebo |first1=Tumi |title=ECCAS: Introduction |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=28 May 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=ECCAS&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mkhizemalebo2026eccas, author = {Mkhize-Malebo, Tumi}, title = {{ECCAS: Introduction}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=ECCAS&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }