Salva Kiir arrives today for the signing of a protocol that will see his country officially joining the East Africa Community (EAC).
Addressing journalists in Dar es Salaam
yesterday, the Head of Communications in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, East Africa, Regional and International Cooperation, Mindi
Kasiga, said President Kiir is expected to arrive at the Julius Nyerere
International Airport at 9.00am.
He will be received by Minister of
Foreign Affairs, East Africa, Regional and International Cooperation, Dr
Augustine Mahiga, who will lead the delegation to State House where
Kiir will meet his host, President Magufuli.
She explained that since it is a working
visit, the Sudanese leader will not receive the traditional 21-gun
salute to welcome him.
South Sudan will be the newest EAC
member bringing the number of countries forming the regional economic
grouping to six after Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
“This is a very unique opportunity for
Tanzania and the rest of the EAC members... South Sudan imports almost
everything, so traders should access this and seek opportunities
available to export goods and other services,” she said.
During their 17th Ordinary Summit held
on March 2 in Arusha, the EAC Heads of State received the report of the
Council of Ministers on the negotiations for the admission of the
Republic of South Sudan into the Community and decided to admit the
Republic of South Sudan as a new member.
President John Magufuli, in his capacity
as the Chairperson of the East African Community’s Heads of State
Summit, announced that South Sudan was the six newest member of the
regional bloc, which was revived in 1999 after the collapse of the
original community in 1977.
Other members of the EAC include the
founding three -- Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania -- as well as Rwanda and
Burundi that joined later in 2007
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