South Sudan has been admitted into the East African Community (EAC), increasing the membership of the common market to six with a population of 162 million people. The 17th Ordinary EAC Heads of State Summit in Arusha, Tanzania, resolved to admit Africa's newest nation into the economic bloc on Wednesday.

 “South Sudan is a new member of the EAC,” said the EAC secretariat on its social media site on Wednesday. A statement from EAC headquarters in Arusha before the announcement showed that the issue was at the top of the agenda at the meeting. It said the leaders would decide “on the negotiations on the admission of South Sudan into the community,” among other issues. South Sudan now joins Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi and it will be part of the regional integration projects that have been the subject of discussion among member countries. South Sudan applied for EAC membership soon after gaining its independence from neighbouring Sudan in 2011, upon being invited by the presidents of Kenya and Rwanda.

 Source: Daily Nation

By Richard E. Mshomba The East African Legislative Assembly has been discussing the applications of Somalia and South Sudan to join the East African Community (EAC). Somalia and South Sudan do not meet the pre-requisites for membership. High up among the pre-requisites is "adherence to universally acceptable principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice." Although South Sudan received juridical statehood when it gained independence on July 9, 2011, it has been struggling to achieve empirical statehood. Somalia is also a failed state, this country, together with South Sudan should not be allowed to join the EAC at this point. In the last few years, nowhere has the dynamism of regional economic integration in Africa been more apparent than in the EAC. The EAC is planning to have a monetary union by 2023, with the ultimate goal of having a political federation. This aspiration to form a political federation goes beyond that of any other current regional bloc anywhere in the world. To stay focused on its goals, the EAC has so far been careful not to rush in accepting new members. It should continue to take this cautious approach, especially since it does not have a road map regarding how to help these applicants end their internal conflicts and establish good governance. Other countries that have applied to join the EAC are the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. It is interesting that South Sudan applied to join the EAC just...

By James Karuhanga Two days before the 17th ordinary East African Community (EAC) Heads of State Summit, 17 regional Civil Society Organisations have expressed concerns that the crisis in Burundi is not on the agenda of the upcoming EAC Heads of State Summit. An EAC communiqué announcing the Summit did not mention the Burundi crisis among the list of items to be considered by regional leaders when they meet. A joint statement issued Monday morning by Burundian Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and International Organisations to the Summit indicates that the groups are joining their voices "to address the EAC Heads of State." "We are deeply concerned that the Burundi crisis is not on the Agenda of the Summit despite the worsening situation and request that it be given due priority," reads part of the statement. "We urge the Summit to ensure implementation of the decisions taken by the three Extraordinary Summits on the situation in Burundi." Among others, the groups also call on the Summit to support the establishment of a credible investigative mechanism to independently examine all allegations of human rights violations in Burundi, as recommended by the Sub-Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) last November. The groups' joint statement was issued during their press conference in Arusha, Tanzania where EAC leaders are scheduled to meet, on Wednesday. "Ending the crisis in Burundi must remain a top priority for the Heads of State of the EAC, who are meeting later this...

By Jackson Kiraka As the East African Community summit convenes this month, it will be welcoming a new club member -- President John Magufuli, who swept into power, overcoming perhaps the most competitive of Tanzania's elections since the advent of multi-partyism. By winning comfortably, Mr Magufuli, then considered an outsider by CCM standards, proved wrong the prediction by pundits that the ruling party CCM would suffer what its sister party -- Kanu of Kenya -- had suffered back in 2002. Dr Magufuli seems to be winning his countrymen over. This is attributed to his sweeping, no-nonsense handling of issues of national importance. Hospital stores have been replenished and new equipment bought, under-performing administrators sacked, easy government lunches scrapped, and unnecessary travel banned. However, Dr Magufuli has yet to step out of his country as president. BIG BROTHER Dr Magufuli's broom, like that of his Nigerian counterpart, General Muhammadu Buhari, seems to be sweeping swift, furious, and wide. His message seems clear, though: That the government must deliver for Tanzanians. And that is a breath of fresh air, even by regional standards. Tanzania is not just any other country. It is not Burundi. It is as strategic as it is pivotal in the regional integration matrix. In terms of size, Tanzania is Kenya and Uganda combined, its resource base perhaps only comparable to the Democratic Republic of the Congo's. Tanzania can easily become the EAC's big brother -- if it chooses to be. In 1967, Tanzania's Julius Nyerere, Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta,...

By Michel Nkurunziza Local transport operators are seeking harmonisation of some new initiatives being launched in the sector at the regional level, arguing that this will help ease service delivery. The transport industry stakeholders, especially those offering trans-border services, say the move could help make them more competitive in the region. While meeting officials from the Ministry of Infrastructure recently, the transporters noted that different laws applied by the East African Community (EAC) member countries affect their businesses. Eulade Bagumya from Matunda Express said the firm wants to start operating on the Kigali-Kahama route in Tanzania, but raised concerns over standards of speed governors. Bagumya said some of the member states do not enforce the law on speed governors, noting that this offers a big challenge to Rwandan transporters. "For us we have speed governors, but when we start operations in Tanzania it will affect our competitiveness and profitability," he said. He added that local firms make few rounds to and from Kahama (Tanzania) because of 'limited' speed. "So, we need to advocate for harmonization of laws to ensure a level playing ground across the region,"he said. Minister for infrastructure James Musoni explained that there are ongoing discussions between Northern Corridor member states to harmonise transport sector laws and policies, including those on speed governors and fees cross-border transporters pay. According to Deo Muvunyi, the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority director for road transport, speed governors are essential to ensure road safety and promote discipline on the roads. Sector review Meanwhile,...

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 27th February, 2016: The East African Community officially launched the first One Stop Border Post (OSBP) in Holili/Taveta towns on the Kenya/Tanzania border. The facility was built at a cost of approximately US$12 million donated through TradeMark Africa (TMA) by United Kingdom’s DFID, Canada and USAID. [caption id="attachment_12157" align="alignleft" width="640"] From left: TMA OSBP Director, Theo Lyimo;EAC Secretary General, Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera; Amb. Dr. Augustine Mahiga, the Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs, East African, Regional and International Cooperation; Kenya’s Labour and East African Affairs Minister, Ms. Phyllis Kandie[/caption] Amb. Dr. Augustine Mahiga, the Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs, East African, Regional and International Cooperation, and Kenya’s Labour and East African Affairs Minister, Ms. Phyllis Kandie jointly launched the One Stop Border Post (OSBP). Dr. Mahiga said the OSBP will ease the movement of people and goods from and to the two Partner States. “It’s a demonstration of the trust between the two countries and that the One People One Destiny dream is slowly being realized through various East Africa Community initiatives,” said Dr. Mahiga. The Minister reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to the integration process by assenting to the OSBP Bill and concluding agreements for management of OSBPs with all Partner States. Dr. Mahiga said the OSBP will increase efficiency by reducing time and transport costs incurred by businesses, farmers and transporters while crossing from one Partner State to the other. The Minister further said that the Arusha-Holili/Taveta-Voi road which was currently under construction would boost...

TORORO, Uganda (Xinhua) -- Construction continues apace on the U.S. $46 million dollar dual carriage bridge linking Uganda to Kenya at the Malaba border post and eventually ease the follow of exports and imports between the Kenyan seaport of Mombasa and hinterland eastern Africa. The new road will stretch one kilometer from Kenya customs offices to Uganda. Malaba bridge will ease freighter traffic through to Mombasa Port | Coastweek MALABA Uganda (Xinhua) -- A cargo truck from Kenya destined for Uganda rolls over the single carriage bridge at Malaba border point in eastern Uganda. The European union is funding the construction of a new dual carriage bridge that will link Kenya to Uganda at a tune of 46 million US dollars.The bridge is expected to ease flow of cargo trucks in and out of Uganda. XINHUA PHOTO - DANIEL EDYEGU The dual carriage bridge will replace the current single carriage bridge linking the two East African countries. The existing bridge was built by the British in 1961. Source: Coast Week

THE tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt is battling to keep the doors of its hotels and restaurants open. The millions of tourists who normally patronise this picturesque town, which sits between the Red Sea and the Sinai Desert, have dwindled to a trickle after the crash of a Russian airliner with 224 people on board shortly after take-off from this popular holiday resort in October. Not only are jobs and businesses at stake, the plunge in tourist dollars has exacerbated a serious foreign currency crisis. Tourism contributes about 13% to Egypt’s gross domestic product, and at its peak in 2010, the industry hosted nearly 15-million visitors. The ailing town was given a boost earlier this month by the arrival of up to a thousand visitors for the Africa 2016 conference, an Egyptian government event designed to revitalise ties with the rest of Africa. Its secondary role was presumably to show the world, or Africans at least, that it is safe to travel there, with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi hosting four African presidents (from Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sudan) and Ethiopia’s prime minister. The event was incident free but security was tight. Sisi, battling with the economic legacy of political upheaval, wants to increase trade and investment with African countries. This month’s event follows the launch of the Tripartite Free Trade Area, linking three major regional economic trade blocs, at the same venue last year, signalling a real determination to exploit the African market. While Sisi...

The new digitalised and machine- readable East African Passport replaces the old EAC travel document, which was restricted to just the five member states. Apparently, the proposed new one is going to be as international as the current Tanzanian booklet passport, which means it will be accepted all over the globe. Arusha will be hosting five Presidents from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania who are set to converge here for their Heads of State Summit on Wednesday the 2nd of March 2016. According to the Head of Communications at the East African Community Secretariat, Mr Richard Owora Othieno, the five East African presidents are converging here for their 17th Ordinary East African Community (EAC) Heads of State Summit. The five presidents, including for the first time at the summit, Dr John Magufuli, will have several items on the agenda, including the launching of the new electronic East African Passport and discussion of the possibilities of adding new members, including South-Sudan into the Arusha-based, community. The Summit will also address the consideration of reports by the preceding EAC Council of Ministers on: the negotiations on the admission of the Republic of South Sudan into the Community. The Head of State will also be addressing Sustainable Financing Mechanisms for the EAC; and the EAC Institutional Review. Tanzania will be handing over the Summit Chair to the next country, possibly Burundi despite conflicts in the country. The meeting will also consider the council’s reports on the Model, Structure and Action Plan of...

Mogadishu (HAN) February 27, 2016 – Public Diplomacy and Regional Stability Initiatives News. Tanzania has disregarded calls by the East African Business Council and assented to the EAC Non-Tariff Barriers Bill. The business lobby had petitioned the EAC heads of state not to assent to the Bill until the clause on dispute resolution was amended. The business community in the region is concerned that the Bill gives powers to the governments to identify NTBs and at the same time resolve them. “This clause has to be changed; the private sector should be given the mandate of identifying NTBs and pushing governments to resolve them,” said an EABC official. “NTBs are usually imposed by government bodies and thus it makes no sense for the same governments to resolve them,” the official told The EastAfrican. The East African Community Elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers Act 2015, passed recently by the East African Legislative Assembly is to be enacted into law in March after being assented to by the presidents ahead of the EAC heads of state summit scheduled for March 2. Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has already assented to the law and it has been taken to Kenya for assent before being passed on to Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Once enacted, the NTB law is expected to eliminate non-tariff barriers to trade among the EAC partner states by compelling them to eliminate the numerous NTBs that hinder smooth movement of goods and services within the economic bloc. NTBs are partly to blame for...