Chair of the EAC Council of Ministers, Amb. Dr. Augustine Mahiga receives document of instrument of ratification from H. E. Hon. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni.
Presidential Envoy of the Republic of South Sudan, H. E. Hon. Aggrey Tisa SabunI having chat with Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko.
The Republic of South Sudan today deposited the instrument of ratification on the Accession to the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community to the Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC) Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
Depositing the instrument of ratification with the Secretary General of the East African Community means the Republic of South Sudan is now a new family member of the East African Community with full and equal rights, obligations and privileges.
‘’I would, therefore, like to seize this opportunity to commend President Salva Kiir, the Government and the entire people of the Republic of South Sudan for their tireless efforts and commitment that enabled them to achieve this important milestone”, the Secretary General said at a short ceremony attended by the Chair of the EAC Council of Ministers and Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Amb. Dr. Augustine Mahiga; Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of East African Community, Labour and Social Protection, Hon. Phyllis Kandie; Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Alain Aime Nyamitwe, and the one in the Office of the President responsible for EAC Affairs, Hon. Leontine Nzeyimana; Permanent Secretaries/ Principal Secretaries from Partner States, EAC Deputy Secretaries Generals, Counsel to the Community and members of media.
In addition, on the Republic of South Sudan were Secretary General, South Sudan EAC Secretariat, Mou Mou Athian Kuol, South Sudan Ambassador to Tanzania, Mariano Deng Ngor, Director of East African Community, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Amb. Agnes Oswaha and Legal Counsel, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Juba, South Sudan,Lawrence Loro Kamilo.
Amb. Mfumukeko disclosed that now that South Sudan have taken a step further, the Secretariat will seek guidance from the Council of Ministers on developing a detailed roadmap for integrating the Republic of South Sudan into the ongoing EAC projects and programmes.“We shall be informing the Leardership in Juba of every step we shall be taking in this regard”.
The EAC Chief called upon the media to fully participate in integrating the Republic of South Sudan in the EAC by reporting objectively on the issues at hand. He said EAC attaches great importance to the role of the Media in promoting awareness, discourse and involvement of the broad range of stakeholders in the East African regional integration process.
The EAC Secretary General also reiterated to both national, regional and International media on their role to get the region and the new Partner State to embrace regional integration with passion, dedication and commitment for the benefit of the present and future generations of the Community.
On his part, the Presidential Envoy of the Republic of South Sudan, H. E. Hon. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni said membership in EAC for Republic of South Sudan will henceforth mean that the country will never be the same again. “The EAC integration process is important for South Sudan. Currently, the EAC is the most advanced Regional bloc on the African Continent”.
He noted that South Sudan’s membership in the EAC is likely to provide concrete benefits to the country and the region as a whole, adding that “deep regional integration programmes that South Sudan shall soon undertake are likely to enhance overall EAC competitiveness which will lead to higher economic growth, employment creation and poverty reduction”.
Notes to Editors
Republic of South Sudan applied to join the East African Community on 10th June, 2011. A Verification Committee from the EAC visited the Republic of South Sudan from 15th to 31st July, 2012 with the aim of establishing the Republic of South Sudan‘s level of conformity with the criteria for admission of foreign countries into the East African Community as provided under Article 3 of the EAC Treaty.
Based on recommendation of the report by the Verification Committee, the EAC Heads of State Summit in November, 2012 directed the Council of Ministers to negotiate the admission of South Sudan putting into consideration the provision of the EAC Treaty on the criteria of joining the Community.
As a result, the EAC Council of Ministers established a High Level Negotiation Team and negotiation process with the Republic of South Sudan commenced. To initiate this process on the side of South Sudan, His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit also appointed a High Level Committee on 13th March, 2014 to oversee South Sudan’s accession to the EAC.
Negotiations between the EAC and the Republic of South Sudan went smoothly culminating in its admission to the EAC by the 17th EAC Heads of State Summit held on 2nd March, 2016 in Arusha, Tanzania. At that Summit, the Heads of State designated the Chairperson of the Summmit, H. E. President Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli to sign the Treaty of Accession with the Republic of South Sudan.
A group photo opportunity, delegation from South Sudan, EAC Partners States Ministers, EAC Executives and other officials.
In this regard, H. E. President Salva Kiir and H. E. President Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli signed the Treaty of Accession on 15th April this year in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The Republic of South Sudan was given up to 30th of September, 2016 to deposit the instrument of ratification with the Secretary General of the East African Community in Arusha.
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