KIGALI - The Executive Secretary of the Economic Community for the Great Lakes Region, (CEPGL), Gabriel Toyi, has been recalled by his country Burundi following what has been termed as political pressure.

Toyi leaves the regional body following reports that the official’s recall was sparked off by complaints from the Democratic Republic of Congo, accusing him of lack of diplomacy while demanding the country to pay its debts to the bloc.

Toyi has been at the helm of the body since 2007 until last month when the CEPGEL Council of Ministers agreed to recall him.

The post is reserved for Burundi, meaning that the country will name someone else to replace him.

"There were also a lot of misunderstandings between him and his colleagues here, on top of DRC accusing him of daily confrontation to pay their debts, and the Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs did not appreciate his behaviour,” a source in CEPGL office said.

CEPGL is made up of Rwanda, Burundi and DRC.
When contacted, the deputy Executive Secretary in charge of Finance and Administration, Lillian Gashumba, confirmed to this paper that Toyi had left but denied allegations of internal wrangles.

"Those are political decisions made by the ministerial council; the ministers decide what to do with any employee here. What I know, his country recalled him and gave him another job in the office of 2nd Vice President. He sent us an email explaining that,” Gashumba said

According to Gashumba, they are waiting for Burundi to send another representative to occupy the office.

However, our source in the office said that, Toyi and his deputies, one from DRC and another from Rwanda, have had several misunderstandings on the management of the regional institution’s funds.

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