Can the EAC diffuse tension between Rwanda & DRC?

The DRC is viewed as a most promising member of the regional bloc offering a market of over 96 million people. DRC is also rich in many coveted minerals such as cobalt and Nickel, gold, and diamonds, which has caused a long-standing conflict. The EAC peace forces in the DRC were sent in early last year to restore peace and stability in the region. The East Africa Community (EAC) has been touted as a model for regional economic blocs in Africa but the tension between Rwanda and the bloc’s newest member, DRC, is threatening to derail the region’s social and economic integration.    The two neighboring countries have had a dicey relationship in the recent past with the largest country of the EAC, the DRC, accusing the smallest country in the region, Rwanda, of supporting rebels within its borders. The DRC is viewed as a most promising member of the regional bloc offering a market of over 96 million people which is slightly a third of the entire EAC population made up of seven countries. DRC is also rich in many coveted minerals such as cobalt and Nickel, gold, and diamonds, which has caused a long-standing conflict, especially in the mineral-rich