South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit is poised to assume the role of Chairman at the upcoming East African Community (EAC) Heads of State Summit, succeeding Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye, whose one-year term concluded earlier this year.
The EAC Heads of State Summit is scheduled to convene next week in Arusha, Tanzania, on November 23-24. During this summit, discussions on climate change and food security are expected to take place.
EAC Secretary General Dr. Peter Mathuki revealed President Kiir’s upcoming chairmanship in September during a meeting of regional body delegates. Dr. Mathuki emphasized that Kiir’s nomination as chairman reflects South Sudan’s commitment to regional integration.
President Kiir will assume the role of steering the regional bloc amid ongoing discussions about regional peace and security, with a particular focus on addressing the crisis in Sudan and the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. South Sudan has deployed troops as part of the East African Regional Force to contribute to peace restoration in the region.
The EAC chairmanship is a rotating position, with each member state holding the role for a one-year term. The current EAC Chairperson is Burundi’s President Ndayishimiye, who was elected in July of the previous year during the 22nd Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State held in Arusha, Tanzania. He succeeded former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising seven partner countries: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania, with its headquarters located in Arusha, Tanzania.
