Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC) 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 Leadership in Juba of every step we shall be taking in this regard,”.Mfumukeko said.

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 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,” Sabuni said.

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”.