Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation says South Sudan is set to join the East African Community (EAC) in November this year. 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...

October 12, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudan will soon become a member of the East African Community, currently consisting of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. South Sudan’s foreign affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin said a technical committee recommended his country’s admission into the regional bloc (EAC). “The final session has actually shown the Republic of South Sudan is qualified to become a member of east African community,” Marial told reporters on Monday. South Sudan applied for the EAC membership soon after it attained it’s independence in July 2011. The admission, however, stalled due to institutional weakness, poor economic management and issues related to the rebellion, which broke out in mid-December 2013. Marial, who co-chairs the 28 delegation of South Sudan technical committee, disclosed that the official admission will be done in November during the head of states meeting to be attended by leaders of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. The South Sudanese foreign affairs minister said he signed “final reports on behalf” of the world’s youngest nation, paving way for its admission in to the five-member bloc. “I think this is a great victory for South Sudan to become a member of East African Community,” said Marial. The EAC member countries often enjoy free travel across borders and share workforce. Source: Sudan Tribune

Ethiopia has entered into a parallel oil pipeline deal with Djibouti in a development that is set to take the shine away from Kenya’s Lamu Port Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) project. The country, which is a main determinant of the viability of the Lapsset project, on Tuesday entered into a rival deal with Djibouti to construct a 550km line to transport diesel, gasoline and jet fuel from Djibouti to central Ethiopia. Energy infrastructure companies Black Rhino and MOGS Oil & Gas Services (BRM) will construct the pipeline at a cost of $1.55 billion (Sh160 billion at current exchange rates). The deal could become the second significant threat to the infrastructure corridor coming days after Kenya and Uganda shrugged off another challenge to the project after they rejected a push by Total France to have a proposed crude oil pipeline, being developed by the two countries, pass through Tanzania. Total wanted the route changed — from Hoima in Uganda via northern Kenya to Lamu on the Indian Ocean — in favour of another from Hoima via Dar es Salaam to the port of Tanga on the Indian Ocean. The development could split Ethiopia’s loyalties into two, giving it access to both ports in what may reduce the lustre on the Kenyan project. Lapsset is estimated to cost Sh2.5 trillion ($24.5 billion) and it will entail the development of seven components, including Lamu Port, railway, highway, oil pipeline, oil refinery at Lamu, resort cities at Lamu, Isiolo and Lake Turkana and airports...

Regional business lobby wants South Sudan to remove restrictions on movements of goods and people to boost trade along the Northern Corridor. The Common Market of East and Central Africa (Comesa) Business Council says the troubled nation has trade-restrictive regulation and restrictions on the movement of persons. "There is need to lobby South Sudan on trade facilitation reforms to facilitate trade for the Northern Corridor," said a resolution of the first Comesa Business Council regional transport conference held in Nairobi on September 17. NORTHERN CORRIDOR The Northern Corridor links the landlocked countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi with Kenya's port of Mombasa. It also paves way to markets in eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and northern Tanzania. Kenya, Burundi, DRC, Rwanda and Uganda are party to the Northern Corridor Transit Agreement to streamline customs control, documentation procedures and transit. South Sudan is a key player in the Northern Corridor but is not a member of the East Africa Community or Comesa. BUSINESS COUNCIL RESOLUTION The resolution which will be presented to the ninth joint meeting of the committees on transport, communication, information technology and energy on October 26 in Ethiopia is part of a raft of proposals to improve business along the corridor. More than 60 participants from companies and associations from 15 countries in the Comesa region participated at the dialogue. The business council which is made up of freight forwarders, logistics companies, cargo handlers, transporters and truckers called for the support of a...

The World Bank has released over Sh54 billion to fund the laying of fibre optic cable and construction of a superhighway connecting Kenya and South Sudan. The project, which runs concurrently in the two countries, was commissioned Wednesday following the release of the funds. The fibre optic cable will be placed along the Lokichar - Nedapal road as the road is constructed. South Sudan’s ICT minister Rebecca Joshua Okwaci and her Kenyan counterpart Fred Matiang’i signed a memorandum of understanding in January, making way for commissioning of the project. “The entire project is set to be complete in two years’ time, today we are implementing the road and information superhighway that form the most effective way of accelerating development,” said Robert Mugo, Director, Shared Services at the ICT Authority. Mr Mugo was speaking at the project commissioning event organised by the Ministry of Roads and infrastructure in Lodwar town. The ICT Authority is implementing the Kenyan-side of the fibre optic project through a World Bank fund estimated at Sh2.6 billion. The South Sudan section will cost Sh1.5 billion. Kenya and South Sudan are working on the project as part of the Eastern Africa Regional Transport, Trade and Development Facilitation Project. The fibre and road project is critical to enhance trade between the country and her landlocked northern neighbour.  Kenya’s exports to South Sudan make 25 per cent of South Sudan’s total imports. The volume of Kenyan goods exported to South Sudan has been on the rise. In 2013 for instance,...

Business leaders and analysts have greeted the signing of the peace agreement by South Sudan leaders with cautious optimism, given that nine other accords signed in the past 20 months were not honoured. Regional businesses with operations in the country have watched helplessly as their units sank into losses or stalled. Attacks by militia and forex shortages are some of the challenges they have faced. The chairman of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers Pradeep Paunrana said the signing of the peace accord was a very positive development for Kenya’s economy. Peace in South Sudan will reopen the doors for exports from Kenyan companies. “The peace accord will now help Kenyan companies to restore their original business operations and others to open new markets,” said Mr Paunrana, who is also the chief executive officer of Athi River Cement. Uganda’s economy has been one of the worst hit by the war, disrupting exports to one of its key international markets. Its exports have declined by 60 per cent since the war broke out. Early this year, Dr Adam Mugume, executive director of research at Bank of Uganda, said that the peace agreement if signed would see an increase in the exportation of Ugandan food and construction materials to South Sudan. “The conflict has reduced the dollar inflows into the country because of a dip in export and trading volumes. If the situation stabilises, we hope to see an increase in trading activity,” said Dr Mugume. In 2013, Uganda’s exports to South Sudan...

TMA is the first company in East Africa to receive the Award Nairobi, 26th August 2015. TradeMark Africa today received the world’s most prestigious corporate procurement certification from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). The award was presented to TMA at the DusitD2 Hotel in Nairobi during a press conference led by the organization’s vice chairman, Tim Lamont and CEO Frank Matsaert. The award makes TMA the second organisation in Africa, after the Africa Development Bank, to receive the certification, and the first in East Africa. [caption id="attachment_8703" align="alignleft" width="600"] From left Felix Muema-Branch Chair Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Kenya, Frank Matsaert-CEO TradeMarkEast Africa (TMA), Tim Lamont,-Vice Chair of the TMA Board, Ken Jones-Chief Operating Officer TMA, André Coetzee-Managing Director CIPS Africa and Isaac Mwesigye-Procurement director TMA[/caption] The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) informed TMA of the certification this week after a detailed evaluation of the organisation’s procurement structures and practices. CIPS analysed TMA procurement processes according to 110 questions under the following headings: leadership & organization, people, performance management, process & systems and strategy. The CIPS process, through the 110 questions, provided the greatest audit, internal/ external and constructive feedback received from internal and external stakeholders. After an evaluation period of 8 months, TMA received the news of the certification on Monday making it the first East African company to have qualified for the award. “This award serves as further proof of TMA adhering to the highest international standards in procurement, maintaining...

The upgrade of a key link road between Kenya and South Sudan is set to kick-off early next year, raising prospects for enhanced cross-border trade and ease exploration of petroleum deposits within the Lake Turkana basin. Kenya and the World Bank on Monday signed a Sh50 billion deal for the rehabilitation of part of the 601 kilometre highway that links Eldoret to Nakodok on the border with South Sudan. The 960km Eldoret-Juba road is presently in a deplorable state, partly due to high traffic by relief agencies’ heavy commercial vehicles taking supplies to South Sudan and lack of regular maintenance. The new highway will be built to bitumen standards and a one-stop border post built at Nadapal besides other transport amenities. “Producers of agricultural, livestock, fishery and mineral products from the region will benefit from regional and global export opportunities. It will also facilitate the extraction of petroleum recently discovered in Turkana and neighbouring counties,” World Bank county director, Diarietou Gaye said. South Sudan is currently trying to open up its economy to trade with partners in eastern Africa in a bid to consolidate its growth after it successfully seceded from Sudan in July 2011. Its poor transportation link to Kenya was among the weaknesses that a team appointed by the East Africa Community (EAC) Council of Ministers fronted last year to delay Juba’s membership to the regional bloc. Treasury secretary Henry Rotich said the project will involve the rehabilitation of the entire road sections and laying of a 600...

Treasury has signed a $500 million (Sh50 billion) credit agreement with the World Bank for the construction and rehabilitation of a road linking Kenya with South Sudan. The credit line signed Monday brings Kenya’s total development portfolio with the Bretton Woods institution to Sh528 billion ($5.28 billion). “The above road stretches the Eastern Africa Regional Transport, Trade and Development facilitation project, which is part of the 601km road between Lesseru in Eldoret and Nakodok at the Kenya-South Sudan border that will be rehabilitated at a cost of Sh107 billion,” said National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich. He made the remarks Monday during the signing ceremony of the financing for the Kenya-Eastern Africa Regional Transport, Trade and Development facilitation project with World Bank Country Director Diarie’tou Gaye. The project is expected to be implemented over the next six years to 2021. It will entail five years of road upgrading and other physical infrastructure works. The last one year will be for project winding up. “This new project, which was approved by the World Bank board of executive directors on June 11, 2015, will facilitate development, transport and trade between Kenya and its neighbours,” said Gaye. “It will also enhance internet connectivity and road safety between the East African countries and the rest of the world.” The road project is part of the Horn of Africa initiative, an ambitious effort by the World Bank, the United Nations, Islamic Development Bank, African development Bank, African Union Commission and the European Union to promote...

The future of Africa might rely on trains. Many regions of the continent, including Southern and East Africa, are emerging with new standard gauge railways and international deals to finance lines that extend from ports to deserts. However, there’s been a myriad of issues with railway lines from Uganda to South Africa. This has left many wondering: Why is it so hard to build a railway in Africa? Sorely Needed One of the major problems facing both communities and the economy in many parts of Africa is simply getting around. Trucks, which supply almost all of the goods to inland regions of the continent are known for belching out black exhaust. In addition, because many are so overloaded, trucks often go outrageously slow, causing difficulties in the distribution of not only food and water, but medication and basic living goods. When this is combined with poor roads, no roads and narrow roads it leads not only to traffic accidents when drivers attempt to overtake trucks, but trips that should take three hours on a standard western-style freeway can take as long as eight hours to complete. Embracing Train Travel These days Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa have embraced the idea of train travel and partnered with investors who understand that with vast quantities of natural resources on the continent, the ability to move goods quickly and efficiently could absolutely change the way we do business on a global level. This is one of the reasons that China...