Yang takes office as ECCAS Committee of The Wise vice chairperson.

Yang officially assumed office alongside other members of the Committee on Saturday 9. This was in the course of the 24^th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of ECCAS. 

The Summit took place in the resort city of Sipopo in the Province of Bioko Norte, in Equatorial Guinea.

The Summit was held under the theme: “ECCAS at crossroads on the way to consolidating reform in order to meet the challenges of regional integration in Central Africa”. 

The Minister of External Relations, Mbella Mbella, represented President Paul Biya at the Summit.

Yang assumed office after the President of the ECCAS Commission, Gilberto Da Piedade Verissimo, signed a decision on June 26, 2023, appointing him and other personalities to the Committee of The Wise of ECCAS. 

Other members of the team who were also installed into office are:  Catherin Samba  Panza, former Transition President of the  Central  African Republic, CAR;  Jeane  Francoise Leckoumba Loumetou Pompo, former Minister of Women’s Promotion of the Republic of The Congo; Leonce Nguendakumna, former Burundi National Assembly Speaker;  Emmanuel Nadinga, former Chadian Prime Minister; Marie Madeilene Kalala Ngoy Mongi, former Democratic Republic of Congo  Honourary Minister of Human Rights and erstwhile member of the  African Union Panel of the Wise and Benardo Ndumbele Ndala. 

Speaking at the  event, the Special Representative of the United Nations, UN Secretary General for Central Africa and Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa, UNOCA, Adbou Abarry, urged the  Committee to provide necessary for leaders of  ECCAS member countries  in favour of peace and development.

Equatorial Guinea takes over rotating presidency 

Another change that came at the end of the Summit was that of Equatorial Guinea’s President, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, taking over the rotating Presidency of ECCAS. He has a two-year mandate. He took over from deposed Ali Bongo Odimba of Gabon.

Obiang Nguema used the Summit to underscore that, the gathering of Saturday holds its importance given that it marks a change in leadership and the beginning of the functioning of ECCAS institutions. 

These, he said, are happening “following the adoption of the basic texts that we revised".

“By initiating reforms in our regional community, we had no other objective than to resolutely, decisively and profoundly improve its functioning and its capacity to respond to the challenges of integration in Central Africa,” the website of the Equato Guinean Presidency quotes President Obiang Nguema as having said at the opening of the Summit.

The Equato Guinean leader also used the gathering to present to his peers, the Commander of the Central Africa Multinational Force commonly known by its French acronym, FOMAC, Major General Major General Audace Nduwumunsi of Burundian nationality. 

The military officer had taken over from Brigadier General Daniel Raimundu Savihemba of Angolan nationality in August 2023.

Before the ordinary session of Saturday, the Council of Ministers of ECCAS had meet in session on Thursday March 7. 

The Presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic São Tomé and Príncipe were among leaders who attended the Summit.

In the wake of leadership challenges in Gabon and security threats in CAR and the Democratic Republic of Congo, ECCAS activated the need for more solidary. 

In the last quarter of 2023, the Central African Peace and Security Council known by the acronym, COPAX, and ECCAS officials discussed the need to bolster funding with emphasis on contributions from member states.

ECCAS member countries are; Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.