East African Community to celebrate silver jubilee milestone in November 2024 with a review of its treaty

The East African Community is preparing to celebrate its Silver Jubilee Milestone coming up on the 30^th day of November 2024.

That was among the topics of discussions between the Chairperson of the East African Community’s Heads of State Summit, President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the EAC Secretary General, Veronica Nduva, who paid a visit at the Juba State House in South Sudan.

The EAC Secretary General updated President Kiir on the preparations for the upcoming EAC Silver Jubilee celebrations, to commemorate the milestones made in the last 25 years and providing a platform to address issues hampering integration.

 The Secretary General updated the Chairperson of the Summit on the proposed agenda items for the EAC Heads of State Ordinary Summit also scheduled for November 2024.

They further discussed the necessity for a comprehensive review of the Treaty establishing the EAC to ensure it continues to meet the needs of all Partner States.

This review aims at ensuring that the Treaty addresses the evolving challenges and aspirations of the EAC Partner states thereby enhancing regional cooperation and integration.

 To enhance EAC’s collaborative efforts, the Secretary General proposed the establishment of a regional Tripartite Forum on Peace and Security, which would provide a platform to address shared security challenges and promote regional stability.

 On his part, South Sudanese President Kiir directed the Secretary General to put in place mechanisms to increase South Sudan’s level of participation in EAC intra-regional trade in addition to initiatives that will enable the people of South Sudan to fully capitalize on the benefits of the Community.

The President and the EAC Secretary General stressed the urgency of operationalizing the Nimule-Elego border crossing between South-Sudan and Uganda, a critical step for enhancing regional connectivity and trade.

The fully operationalizing this border would facilitate the movement of goods and people, thereby boosting South Sudan’s economic engagement in the EAC.

Nduva urged South Sudan to prioritize the domestication of the EAC Customs Union Management Act to align its customs operations with EAC standards and improve trade relations with other Partner States.

The full operationalization of the One Network Area in South Sudan to lower communication costs and enhance connectivity among the East African nations and the need for the country’s Parliament to pass legislation to domesticate the EAC Treaty Bill to ensure that citizens can fully benefit from regional integration were other topics in discussion.

The legislative action was deemed critical for embedding the principles of the East African Community within South Sudan’s legal framework, enabling citizens to realize the benefits of integration.

A meeting between the EAC delegation and the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, and South Sudan’s Minister of EAC Affairs, Deng Alor Kuol preceded the courtesy call on the Head of State.

For her South-Sudan trip, Nduva was accompanied by the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, and the Counsel to the Community, Dr Anthony Kafumbe.