Tanzania, Feb. 19 -- Arusha. Sour relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its tiny neighbour, Rwanda, are now hurting the regional Assembly business.

Lawmakers from the DR Congo have allegedly boycotted a retreat of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) in the Rwandan capital.

They cited security concerns as the reason why they could not turn up at a two-day retreat in Kigali from February 15.

The Congolese MPs were also conspicuously absent from another meeting organized early this week for all lawmakers in Kampala.

Although no other reasons have been advanced for the snub, the new development has once again thrust the crisis in eastern DRC into the limelight.

The lawmakers from all seven East African...