COMMUNIQUÉ: 17TH EXTRA- ORDINARY SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE OF THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY

(L-R) H.E Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda, H. E. Hon. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni, Presidential Envoy of the Republic of South Sudan and H.E William Ruto, Deputy President The Republic of Kenya.

EAC Heads of State and Ministers in charge of Foreign Affairs and EAC matters during the closed session

H.E Ali Mohamed Shein, President of Zanzibar; H. E. Hon. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni, Presidential Envoy of the Republic of South Sudan; H.E Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda; Dr Antony Kafumbe, Counsel to the Community(EAC) and H.E Dr John Pombe Magufuli, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Chair of the EAC Summit during the closed session.

1         THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY HEADS OF STATE, THEIR EXCELLENCIES PRESIDENT DR. JOHN POMBE JOSEPH MAGUFULI OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE SUMMIT, PRESIDENT YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA, PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME OF THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA, DEPUTY PRESIDENT WILLIAM RUTO OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA; AND AMB. ALAIN AIMÈ NYAMITWE, MINISTER OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI REPRESENTING PRESIDENT PIERRE NKURUZINZA HELD THE 17^TH EXTRA-ORDINARY SUMMIT MEETING OF THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY HEADS OF STATE ON 8^TH SEPTEMBER, 2016 IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA.  IN ATTENDANCE WERE H.E ALI MOHAMED SHEIN, PRESIDENT OF ZANZIBAR, AND HON AGGREY TISA SABUNI, SPECIAL ENVOY OF GENERAL SALVA KIIR MAYARDIT, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN.

2         THE HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT MET IN A WARM AND CORDIAL ATMOSPHERE.

3         THE HEADS OF STATE CONSIDERED A REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ON EU-EAC ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) AND NOTED THAT TWO PARTNER STATES HAVE SIGNED THE EPA.  THE SUMMIT REQUESTED FOR THREE MONTHS TO FINALISE ON THE CLARIFICATION OF THE CONCERNS OF SOME OF THE REMAINING PARTNER STATES BEFORE CONSIDERING THE SIGNATURE OF EPA AS A BLOC. THE SUMMIT CALLED UPON EU NOT TO PENALISE THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA AND DIRECTED THE SECRETARIAT TO COMMUNICATE TO EU ON THIS MATTER.

4         THE HEADS OF STATE RECEIVED A REPORT FROM H. E. BENJAMIN WILLIAM MKAPA, THE FACILITATOR OF THE INTER- BURUNDI DIALOGUE.  THE SUMMIT ENDORSED ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS AS PROPOSED IN H. E BENJAMIN WILLIAM MKAPA’S REPORT ON THE INTER BURUNDI DIALOGUE AND DIRECTED THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TO AVAIL A BUDGET FOR THE INTER BURUNDI DIALOGUE.

5         THE HEADS OF STATE RECEIVED A REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ON MATTERS RELATING TO THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN AND CONGRATULATED THE PEOPLE AND THE GOVERNMENT OF           THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN FOR THE TIMELY DEPOSITING OF THE INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION OF THE TREATY OF ACCESSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN INTO THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY WITH THE SECRETARY GENERAL.  THE HEADS OF STATE DIRECTED THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TO PRESENT THE ROADMAP FOR THE ACCELERATED INTEGRATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN INTO THE EAC AT THE 18^TH SUMMIT OF THE EAC HEADS OF STATES SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER, 2016.

6         THE HEADS OF STATE RECEIVED THE REPORT OF THE 33^RD EXTRA-ORDINARY MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS RECOMMENDING TO THE SUMMIT THE APPOINTMENT OF HON. CHRISTOPHE BAZIVAMO FROM THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA AS A DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY.

7         THE HEADS OF STATE APPOINTED HON. CHRISTOPHE BAZIVAMO AS DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY TO A THREE YEAR TERM WITH EFFECT FROM 8^TH SEPTEMBER, 2016 AND PRESIDED OVER HIS SWEARING IN CEREMONY.

8         THEIR EXCELLENCIES PRESIDENT YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA, PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME OF THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA, DEPUTY PRESIDENT WILLIAM RUTO OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA AND AMB. ALAIN AIMÉ NYAMITWE MINISTER OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI THANKED THEIR HOST, HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT DR. JOHN POMBE JOSEPH MAGUFULI OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE SUMMIT, FOR THE WARM AND CORDIAL HOSPITALITY EXTENDED TO THEM AND THEIR RESPECTIVE DELEGATIONS DURING THEIR STAY IN DAR ES SALAAM.

 DONE AT DAR ES SALAAM, THIS 8^TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2016

 

……………………........….... H.E DR. JOHN POMBE JOSEPH MAGUFULI PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

…………….................…… H.E YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA

…………………........… H.E PAUL KAGAME PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA

….………….……..…..….. H.E WILLIAM RUTO DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA

……………………....… AMB. ALAIN AIMÉ  NYAMITWE - MINISTER OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI