Magufuli, Kiir sign as South Sudan officially joins EAC

History was made today when the treaty of accession of the republic of South Sudan into the East African Community was signed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

@RepSouthSudan now Officially in EAC? pic.twitter.com/0wpAmf169t

— EastAfricanCommunity (@jumuiya) April 15, 2016

Dr John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, president Tanzania and chairperson of the East African Community summit of heads of state together with Gen Salva Kiir, president of South Sudan signed.

South Sudan joins the group, previously made up of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.  South Sudan gained its independence from the Republic of Sudan in 2011, but a political split threw the country back into a civil war.

Leaders from the EAC countries have played a role in the peace talks between South Sudan’s president Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar.

“South Sudan’s membership of EAC is not strictly on economic benefits but has historical significance. EAC is where we belong,” South Sudan’s vice president James Wani Igga said recently.

The EAC now has a market of 158 million people.

Congratulations & a warm welcome to Republic of South Sudan on accession to #EAC during official Signing Ceremony just concluded! @jumuiya

— Valentine Rugwabiza (@VRugwabiza) April 15, 2016

Quick facts March, 2016 via @jumuiya

• The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of 5 Partner States (Now 6 with South Sudan): the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the Republic of Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
• The EAC is home to 145.5 million citizens, of which 22% is urban population. With a land area of 1.82 million square kilometres and a combined Gross Domestic Product of US$ 147.5 billion (EAC Statistics for 2015), its realisation bears great strategic and geopolitical significance and prospects for the renewed and reinvigorated EAC.
• The work of the EAC is guided by its Treaty which established the Community. It was signed on 30 November 1999 and entered into force on 7 July 2000 following its ratification by the original three Partner States – Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Burundi acceded to the EAC Treaty on 18 June 2007 and became full Members of the Community with effect from 1 July 2007.
• As one of the fastest growing regional economic blocs in the world, the EAC is widening and deepening co-operation among the Partner States in various key spheres for their mutual benefit. These spheres include political, economic and social.
• At the moment, the regional integration process is in full swing as reflected by the encouraging progress of the East African Customs Union, the establishment of the Common Market in 2010 and the implementation of the East African Monetary Union Protocol.

The full communique:

South Sudan Joins Eac – Communiqué by The Independent Magazine