Just days after ratifying the Accession to the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community, South Sudan has today deposited the qualified instrument of ratification to the Secretary General Ambassador Liberat Mfumukeko at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The depositing of the instrument with the EAC Secretary General means South Sudan is now a new family member of the bloc 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 brief 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.
Others present included Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of East African Community, Labour and Social Protection, Phyllis Kandie; Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs 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.
Those who represented South Sudan included 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, 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 war-ravaged country 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.
On his part, the Presidential Envoy of South Sudan Aggrey Tisa Sabuni, said membership in EAC means 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,” Mr Sabuni said, adding: “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”.
South Sudan applied to join the EAC on June 10, 2011, and was admitted to the bloc on March March 2 this year during the 17th Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State.
