Pretoria — East Africa Community (EAC) envoys sitting in South Africa have committed to working together to push the region’s common interests in Southern Africa.
This was during a meeting hosted by High Commissioner Catherine Mwangi of Kenya and attended by High Commissioner Paul Amoru of Uganda, Ambassador Simon Duku of South Sudan, Ambassador Alexis Bukuru of Burundi and Mr Edward Komba, the Head of Chancery represented the Tanzania High Commissioner Amb. Gaudence Salim Milanzi. Ambassadors from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo registered their apologies.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the Ambassadors reached a unanimous consensus on the urgent need to enhance collaboration and solidarity within the EAC group.
“Recognizing common interests in security, trade, investment, and tourism, the Ambassadors committed themselves to actively promote the EAC and its common market not only in Southern Africa but also with other partners and friends of EAC,” a statement by Uganda High Commission in South Africa says.
It adds, “Under the able coordination of High Commissioner Catherine Mwangi, the meeting determined the creation of a technical bench.”
This instrumental platform will allow Deputy Heads and other technical officials of Mission to have a voice and generate a comprehensive document known as the “zero paper.”
Once discussed and adopted by the Heads of Mission, the statement notes, this document will lay the groundwork for structured rules of engagement and ensure continuity in EAC initiatives.
“The establishment of this technical bench represents a significant leap forward in strengthening the EAC group and enabling it to gain visibility and momentum in pursuing shared interests, both in the host country and other international partners represented in the region,” adds Uganda High Commission in South Africa.
The Ambassadors expressed their enthusiasm for this initiative, underscoring its potential to foster a more resilient and cohesive East African Community.
“By working closely together and prioritizing cooperation among member states, they are poised to address challenges and harness opportunities within the region,” the statement added.
Home to almost 60% of Africa’s population, the Eastern and Southern Africa region is geographically, culturally, and economically diverse and comprises 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South.
The region had an estimated gross domestic product (GDP) of $1,917,904 million with South Africa as the region’s largest economy followed by Angola, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Seychelles and Mauritius are the region’s only high-income economies.
The Eastern and Southern Africa region boasts some of the world’s richest natural resources. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) produces much of the world’s mined cobalt, and Angola leads the region in the production of crude oil.
For many East African countries, agricultural products are the main export commodities: Ethiopia and Uganda lead the region in coffee exports while Kenya is the largest tea exporter. For countries in Southern Africa, precious metals and minerals are the biggest exports, including gold and diamonds from South Africa and platinum from Zimbabwe.
