EAC’s bad year

Uganda remains positive

Henry Okello Oryem, minister of state for international affairs, says Uganda remains very patient amidst everything when asked by The Independent on whether the postponement of the meeting does not create a sense of exhaustion on Uganda’s part. “We are very patient. We are persistent in our position. We have not done anything wrong,” he says.

“We will stick with what was agreed in Angola and we are willing to follow the agreement until further notice. So as far as Uganda is concerned, we are willing to do what it takes to bring this unfortunate situation to what it was before.”

Oryem says Uganda is willing to give talks another chance irrespective of changes of dates. “It is cheaper than other choices which can have long-term impact.” On the summit, Oryem states “the EAC is on track, we are not resentful; accommodation is better.”

He adds that Uganda is determined to keep Rwanda on the negotiating table and maintain an atmosphere that is not toxic and one that allows progress. It has generally been a tenuous year for the EAC under the tenure of Rwanda.

“The absence of a robust institutional framework has left the EAC at the mercy of the political mood swings of individual leaders. It also allows otherwise small misunderstandings to snowball into much bigger crisis,” The East African newspaper wrote in a Nov. 23 editorial on the EAC’s 20^th anniversary where it advocated for deeper integration to heal the fissures within.

On Nov. 12, Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered a diplomatic protest, in which it protested the murder of two of its citizens, Job Ebyarishanga and Bosco Tuhirwe, who were shot by Rwandan security on Nov. 10 over allegations of smuggling.

“Uganda protests the murder of its nationals by Rwanda security personnel for allegedly being involved in the smuggling of goods across the common border,” reads the protest note.

Rwanda claimed that the two suspected smugglers turned violent and assaulted the police officers before being shot. It has been a back and forth between the countries since Rwanda closed its border with Uganda in February.

Away from the two countries, the failure to form a transitional government of national unity in South Sudan has been an indictment on the EAC and its institutional framework. South Sudan remains in a delicate position with the ever looming threat of war breaking out. The community cannot afford to have another war in the young country and efforts at mediation have yielded another extension to forma unity government-hopefully by end of February 2020.

Beginnings

The EAC was originally formed in 1967 by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Disagreements between Uganda under Idi Amin and Tanzania under Julius Nyerere led to the collapse of the EAC in 1977.

Before its collapse, the EAC enabled jointly owned institutions like the East African Railways and Harbours headquartered in Dar es Salaam, and the East African Posts and Telecommunications in Kampala to freely function and citizens enjoyed their services.

The treaty to re-establish the EAC was signed on November 30, 1999 by President Yoweri Museveni and then counterparts; Kenyan president Daniel arap Moi, and Benjamin Mkapa. Burundi and Rwanda joined the bloc in 2007 and the sixth member South Sudan joined in 2016.

Since then, the EAC has made progressive steps such as the signing of protocols for the establishment of the Customs Union signed in 2004, to deepen the integration process through liberalization and promotion of trade.

In 2010, the protocol for the establishment of a common market was signed to create a single market across the EAC partner states by introducing free movement of goods, persons, labour, capital, services, and capital.

In 2013, the EAC went a notch higher when it signed the protocol for the establishment of the East Africa Monetary Union to create financial ability across the board and the ultimate aim being a single currency for the EAC by 2024.

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