South Sudan Set To Join The East African Community Next Month

The Special technical committee including the Foreign Affairs Minister, also Chair of the Delegation and Hon. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni, Presidential Advisor on Economic Planning and Co-Chair together with the delegation of 28 returned to Juba on Monday after attending the last session of the EAC meeting.

“This was the last session as you know the technical communities had been meeting in May, June, August, September and then the final meeting  was now in October which was now a high level ministerial meeting which I led the delegations” Dr. Marial said at Juba International Airport on arrival Monday.

He said the report will be presented in the summit of the head of East African States in November and the head of States will take a final decision according to the recommended position by the high level ministerial committee of East Africa council of ministers.

Dr. Marial said that South Sudan is now qualified to join the economic bloc.

“The final report has come out which I had signed on behalf of the government of South Sudan, The final secession has actual shown the Republic of South Sudan is qualified to become a member of East African community” Dr. Marial explains.

“I think this is a great victory for South Sudan to become a member of EAC. And this is something our citizens need to applaud when the decision will be taken in November by the head of States of East African region” he expressed.

“We will definitely brief the President, the Council of Ministers as well brief the parliament and also enlighten all our citizens so that everybody will understand what are the terms involved.”“I think it will be a great victory. We cannot leave in isolation we are part of this region and it is important that we work with the rest of our brothers and sisters in the region to resolve some of our challenges that we are having.”

The Foreign Affairs Minister had also accompanied the Vice President to New York with his Co-Chair Subuni and his delegation.

The foreign Affairs Minister described the two sessions of the United Nation General Assembly in New York and the joining of EAC as a positive directions in favor of South Sudan.

On his part, Hon. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni said in August while returning from Tanzania that the areas tackled were three and four clusters covering defense, security, Gender, culture, youths, Education, Health and Environmental matters amongst others since the beginning.

The Presidential Advisor Hon. Sabuni said joining EAC will create many advantages to the people of South Sudan including growing of economy and improvement on the areas of need.

South Sudan applied for EAC membership soon after gaining its independence from neighboring Sudan in 2011 upon being invited by the presidents of Kenya and Rwanda. 

 The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organization composed of five countries in the African Great Lakes region in Eastern Africa: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The EAC is a potential precursor to the establishment of the East African Federation, a proposed federation of its members into a single sovereign State.