The Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, January Makamba, has reiterated Tanzania’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the East African Community (EAC) remains robust, united, and successful.
Leading a three-day retreat for Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers responsible for East African Affairs in Zanzibar, which began last Saturday and concludes today, Minister Makamba emphasized the retreat’s goal of strengthening the EAC family for more effective performance.
Makamba underscored Tanzania’s dedication as a founding member to fostering unity and strength within the community, ensuring the successful achievement of its plans, projects, and goals. He noted that the EAC Ministerial Retreat is a directive from the Heads of State and expressed hope for honest and transparent discussions aimed at fortifying the community.
“Unity is our strength. We have witnessed the past consequences of the community’s disintegration, and we must avoid repeating those mistakes,” Makamba stated.
EAC Secretary General, Ms. Veronica Nduva, highlighted that as the regional bloc navigates challenges and opportunities, the outcomes of the Ministerial Retreat will guide future initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable development, shared prosperity, and stability across the region.
“Let us be free to discuss how to enhance peace and security while deepening integration efforts within the EAC,” Nduva remarked at the retreat’s opening. She stressed that the recommendations are required by the EAC Heads of State and that the region’s ‘wananchi’ (citizens) should expect positive outcomes from the well-attended retreat.
Kenya’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Musalia Mudavadi, commended Tanzania for hosting the meeting and emphasized the importance of EAC leaders seizing opportunities for the community’s benefit. Similarly, Uganda’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs, Ms. Rebecca Kadaga, expressed gratitude to the Tanzanian government for hosting the meeting and praised its leadership’s efforts to strengthen the community.
Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, Dend Alor Kuol, highlighted the meeting’s significance, particularly its focus on peace, security, and community integration, recognizing it as a crucial step towards advancing the EAC.
Ambassador Albert Shingiro, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation of Burundi, remarked, “We have made progress in EAC integration but still have serious gaps that include lack of trust among us, insecurity, and lack of jobs for our increasing young people. We must find workable means to address these challenges.”
The retreat discussed the report from the Chair of the Heads of State of the community, the state of peace, security, and relations among member states, and evaluated the integration process and issues hindering the goals of its programmes and projects.
Organized in collaboration between the government of Tanzania and the EAC Secretariat, the meeting followed directives from the EAC Heads of State summit held virtually on May 7th this year. Ministers from the eight EAC member states—Burundi, the DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and the host Tanzania—are in attendance, along with permanent secretaries from these ministries and members of the EAC Secretariat.
