A week ago, it was officially announced that South Sudan is now a member of the East African Community (EAC).
However considering the uncertainity that still prevails in that country, I wonder whether the EAC was not premature in admitting this country.
This is not to say that South Sudan is not a worthy candidate. Only that its present circumstances makes it difficult to understand who exactly you are dealing with.
Riek Machar is still missing in action and has been giving several exccuses as why he cannot come to Juba and form the coalition government as agreed in the reconciliation talks.
Even the urgings of such powers as the United States and China has failed to move him.
As for the EAC, the question is how can  regionally integrate a country that is internally disintegrated?
I would have thought that the EAC Summit Heads, should have given South Sudan a transition period before taking up full EAC membership. This would have given the leaders time to come to terms with their political differences and reach a lasting solution.
As I see it, South Sudan cannot give the guarantees necessary to be a part of the EAC. Can the Juba authorities live up to the terms under the Common Market Protocol? The security situation in many parts of the country are not encouraging for trade. Like most East Africans, I pray the situation is rectified soon.
Source: Business Week

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.