South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir departed this morning for Arusha, Tanzania, to attend the 24th Ordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State.
The summit will bring together regional leaders to address key challenges facing the EAC, including strategies to accelerate economic integration, enhance resilience to climate change, and tackle insecurity in the region.
In a press statement, Presidential Press Secretary Lily Adhieu Martin Manyiel confirmed that President Kiir, in his capacity as the current EAC Chairperson, will lead the summit. He will also hand over the leadership mantle to the incoming Chairperson, who will be unveiled during today’s discussions.
Lily highlighted that President Kiir has diligently used his tenure to advance regional peace and security in the Great Lakes Region, engaging in dialogue with the leaders of Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to address border and political issues affecting these countries.
She further emphasized that the summit will include discussions on proposals for drafting a political federation constitution. The gathering is significant not only for its focus on regional integration but also as it coincides with the 25th anniversary celebrations of the EAC’s establishment, she added.
The summit will also assess the achievements of the past 25 years and set the course for deeper regional integration.
On the sidelines, President Kiir is expected to engage with fellow leaders on the ongoing implementation of the revitalized peace agreement in South Sudan and the Tumaini Peace Initiative in Kenya, which aims to bring holdout groups into the peace process.
The EAC consists of eight countries, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and the latest entrant Somalia.