Should Tanzania welcome South Sudan (another CoW) into the EAC?

[msemakweli]

Talks to accept South Sudan as a member of the East African Community resume this week in Tanzania's City Arusha, according to Dr Richard Sezibera, the East African Community Secretary General.

"We have been in touch with South Sudan and handling their request to join the EAC. Further negotiations resume this week in Arusha-Tanzania," Dr Sezibera said Wednesday while visiting Monitor Publications Limited Head Office in Kampala.

South Sudan's plan to join the EAC is likely to add 11 million people to a regional market that has 140 million people in the five states of Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi.

EAC member states like Uganda and Kenya stand to benefit most from South Sudan which gives them a significant market. Currently, Uganda and Kenya's annual exports to South Sudan are valued at over $200 million (Shs504 billion) and $180 million (Shs453.6 billion) respectively.

Mr Sezibera added that EAC Secretariat is committed to work closely with South Sudan to ensure "a smooth negotiation process".

Last year, South Sudan had halted negotiations because of an armed conflict that broke out, displacing close to 2.2 million people and claiming hundreds killed. The conflict put 4.6m people at severe risk of food insecurity, according to the UN.

However, negotiations to return peace in South Sudan are under-way in Juba where regional leaders are expected to assign a peace pact.

South Sudan marked its independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011. It had been at war for almost half a century when the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 brought an end to a period of fighting, which begun in 1983.

The country was plunged into conflict once more in December 2013, when a political dispute between President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, the former vice president, escalated into a war that has since taken on a tribal dimension.

Mr Kiir is a member of the Dinka, the largest tribe in the country, while Mr Machar is from the second-largest tribal community, the Nuer.

Conditions
For South Sudan to become a member of the EAC has to meet the six conditions of acceptance into the Community as set out in the EAC Treaty which include: Adherence to universally acceptable principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law and observance of human rights and social justice.

Background
The Republic of South Sudan applied to join the East African Community on 10th June 2011. A Verification Committee from the EAC visited the Republic of South Sudan from 15th to 31st July, 2012 with the aim of establishing the Republic of South Sudan‘s level of conformity with the Criteria for Admission of Foreign Countries into the East African Community as provided under Article 3 of the Treaty Establishing the EAC.

Based on recommendation of the report by the Verification Committee, the EAC Heads of State Summit in November 2012 directed the Council of Ministers to negotiate the admission of South Sudan putting into consideration the provision of the EAC Treaty on the criteria for joining the Community.

Based on the Summit directive, the EAC Council of Ministers established a High Level Negotiation Team and the Team is ready to start the negotiation process with the Republic of South Sudan.


Talks to accept South Sudan into EAC resume this week - National

My take: South Sudan is clearly another CoW appendage. I think for the sake of EAC stability, we need to add another heavyweight into the mix, so as to create three centers of power (Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia). Three is always a number of stability. I propose that Tanzania push for the inclusion of Ethiopia in the EAC.

 

[Quickly]

My take: South Sudan is clearly another CoW appendage. I think for the sake of EAC stability, we need to add another heavyweight into the mix, so as to create three centers of power. Three is always a number of stability. I propose that Tanzania push for the inclusion of Ethiopia in the EAC.

Agreed on the Ethiopia part. Fully. However on trade matters they have always been oriented to the Arabian peninsula. look at the trade between Ethiopia and Kenya= not worth writing about. South Sudan are complete jokers,they are a very unsophisticated entity completely incapable of 19th problem solving;how are they going to deal with 21st century issues?My verdict: allow both in as associate(junior members

 

[Bavaria]

We should rethink the membership of Rwanda and Burundi.

 

[Kobello]

It wouldn't really matter. They are clowns.

 

[Iconoclastes]

Agreed on the Ethiopia part. Fully. However on trade matters they have always been oriented to the Arabian peninsula. look at the trade between Ethiopia and Kenya= not worth writing about. South Sudan are complete jokers,they are a very unsophisticated entity completely incapable of 19th problem solving;how are they going to deal with 21st century issues? My verdict: allow both in as associate(junior members

I find your opinion, highlighted above, on the South Sudan a little harsh and unfair. It isnt their fault that they are still a savage society, if u understand their history really well.
In order to foster both the economic and social progress, they will need to partner with their otherwise more advanced neighboring countries. They have the oil, that all so crucial mineral resource, that if put into good use, it will hasten the country's economic development.

Ethiopia's closed economy model isnt compatible with those of the other EAC member states.

 

[Quickly]

Iconoclastes

Unreserved apology. With hindsight i remember those words are of a 20th century british imperialist - i think it was the Rhodesian Ian Smith who said that. I am a africanist-my bad.

Anyways my point is that they are not using oil wealth to roll back the years of war and build a reasonable country. They lack a nyerere/Nkrumah paternal father of the nation.The present leadership is moribund - both sides.

Ethiopia and planned economics thing - who said it is a bad thing. It works in some societies. We can open free trade on a select number of goods and services then see how it goes from there.

 

[msemakweli]

We should rethink the membership of Rwanda and Burundi.

Hardly. Those two don't contribute tuppence!
I agree with Quickly we should include Ethiopia, and dare i say Somalia too, as associate members. Djibouti and Eritrea will follow too, naturally.

 

[Iconoclastes]

Quickly:
SS is just going thru simmilar political challenges that were prevalent in the newly independent, third-world countries in the 60s and 70s.
Personally, I had expected a political turmoil to occur at some point in that young country's journey to nationhood:
a) after the tragic and suspicious death of its founder John Garang
b)the immense oil wealth; the many greedy interests (both within and without) were likely to spawn some violence
c)tribal competition and mistrust, all too salient
d)boundary and oil revenues dispute with its erstwhile rulers, nSudan... etc

It would have surprised me hadnt any politically instigated conflict happened by now. To me, it was all too inevitable, but I doubt if it will last long.

Indeed it is imperative that the SS should have intelligent and visionary leaders to steer the country to its development goal, but that will also require some assistance from the other African countries...


The Ethiopia's closed economy model will be proven a failure in the long run...

 

[JokaKuu]

msemakweli,

..rwanda wameachwa njia panda ktk mradi wa reli.

..uganda wameamua kujenga reli kuunganisha na south sudan kwa madai kwamba njia hiyo inalipa kuliko njia ya kwenda rwanda.

..makelele, matusi, chuki, dharau, na vitimbi vyote vya ndugu zetu (ky,rw,ug) mwisho wake ndiyo huu.

..nadhani haya mambo ya COW hayakupaswa kuletwa kwenye jumuiya.

 

[Eric Cartman]

JokaKuu
Kila mtu anaangalia maslahi yake isipokuwa sisi kwenye huu muungano stability ya South Sudan itapelekea uganda kupata faida kubwa sana za kiuchumi so far wao ndio exporter wakubwa wa chakula huko na bidhaa zingine adimu za human consumption sanasana mahindi (how do I know nina rafiki wa Kiganda kabila la Acholi wako nao mpakani juzi katoka huko).

In the future sudan ikiwa stable kutokana na somewhat arid landscape hiyo nchi inaweza kuwa soko lao kubwa sana la kuuza chakula zaidi kwa uganda, mwingine mwenye uwezo wa kulisha hao ni sisi either through primary production ya mazao au hata secondary kama waganda na wakenya wakija kununua na ku-process wao.

Sie tuna kila advantage na huu muungano economical wise isipokuwa preparation zetu ndio tatizo iwe utalii, port connection to the outside world wanazotaka na kila kitu ujenzi wa barabara auwezi pelekea large volumes of food products kwenye hizo sehemu reli inaweza.

We need to wake tumelala sana kutumia comparative advantage tulizonazo kwenye soko la watu zaidi millioni 150+.

 

[the gambosh]

sudani kuna minoti acha waje tu.Ila waache vita.

 

[mwaswast]

Agreed on the Ethiopia part. Fully. However on trade matters they have always been oriented to the Arabian peninsula. look at the trade between Ethiopia and Kenya= not worth writing about. South Sudan are complete jokers,they are a very unsophisticated entity completely incapable of 19th problem solving;how are they going to deal with 21st century issues?My verdict: allow both in as associate(junior members

They can leap to 21st with the help of EAC.

 

[msemakweli]

sudani kuna minoti acha waje tu.Ila waache vita.

Na mafuta

 

[msemakweli]

Iconoclastes
Ethiopia's model is in fact the best any African country can pursue. Look at you Kenyans, for instance, your economy is run by foreigners but you dont even notice it.

 

[mwaswast]

Happy Feet

Kenya tayari wanatengeza reli nyie mmelala hivyo basi tengezeni reli ikielekea SADC............EAC ni ya Kenya.

 

[jMali]

Kenya tayari wanatengeza reli nyie mmelala hivyo basi tengezeni reli ikielekea SADC............EAC ni ya Kenya.

Watanzania kama Rostam Aziz ndio wamiliki wa reli nchini kwenu. Endeleeni kujisifu kwa vitu vilivyo located kwenu lakini hamvimiliki. House negroes.

 

[Koba]

Agreed on the Ethiopia part. Fully. However on trade matters they have always been oriented to the Arabian peninsula. look at the trade between Ethiopia and Kenya= not worth writing about. South Sudan are complete jokers,they are a very unsophisticated entity completely incapable of 19th problem solving;how are they going to deal with 21st century issues?My verdict: allow both in as associate(junior members

Eti unsophisticated? kuna tofauti gani hivyo vinchi vyote maskini wa kutupa,seems maskini badala ya kusaidiana mmeamua kuchekana

 

[Eric Cartman]

Kenya tayari wanatengeza reli nyie mmelala hivyo basi tengezeni reli ikielekea SADC............EAC ni ya Kenya.

Kenya kujenga reli makes no difference ata wakisema ije na Tanzania pia, already port ya Tanga feasibility study ya sasa inafanywa na private company so as the tender to build the railway line.

Issue kwa Tanzania ni ku-access hayo masoko ya CoW kusudi bidhaa za mashambani na (viwandani possibily) zipate wateja wa uhakika jumlisha na ajira za reli upande watanzania ziajiri wa-tanzania who owns and maintains the railway it makes little difference. Sana sana labda kuingia joint ownership ya railway line ya ndani kama kutakuwa na sababu za part of that railway kutumika for inter-connection ya ndani.

Kuna investment zingine faida zake are not ownership but rather the general economic possibilities which it opens up. Does it matter for businesses which use the Suez canal on the ownership or the access it provides to other markets and business benefits such as time saving.

 

[msumeno]

for Ethiopia YES but SSD Noooo, i have been there i know what am talking about

 

[mwaswast]

Watanzania kama Rostam Aziz ndio wamiliki wa reli nchini kwenu. Endeleeni kujisifu kwa vitu vilivyo located kwenu lakini hamvimiliki. House negroes.

''Rostam Aziz ndio wamiliki'' yeye na nani I thought ni yeye peke yake? And agai its in Kenya hence helps Kenyans .....please leta facts hapa to show his connections to SGR.