Mausiano baina ya Tanzania na mataifa ya Jumuiya ya Africa Mashariki | Tanzania and the East African Community (EAC)

[tanzan]

From MARC NKWAME in Arusha, 11th September 2011 @ 16:00, Total Comments: 1, Hits: 547

THE Comoros and Somalia have expressed interest to join the East African Community (EAC), Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Bernard Membe, said over the weekend.

Mr Membe said the Republic of Sudan and Southern Sudan have also shown interest to join EAC, which now comprise Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

"The Republic of Sudan has officially applied and we have gone through the application, discussed it and it is now left to the summit to make its decision in November," Mr Membe said.

"We were surprised by the move by Khartoum, because many had expected that the new state of South Sudan which directly borders Kenya and Uganda would have rushed to join the EAC.

"However, it is the Omar al-Bashir's Sudan in the further North which has sent a formal application," he said.

"The EAC is the only regional bloc in Africa to reach the common market stage and the free movement of capital, goods and skilled labour. This is what attracts many states to join us," stated Mr Membe.

However, while any country is free to join the EAC, Mr Membe stressed that any country aspiring to join the EAC must be ready to comply to the Treaty for the establishment of the Community.

He said Section 137 of the Treaty provides that the official language of the Community is English while Swahili remains the regional lingua-franca.

"It therefore means that any country interested to join EAC must be ready to use, understand and speak Swahili without the need of an interpreter, failure to which is a disqualification," the minister explained.

Many of the interested countries speak English but none of the aforementioned four has Swahili in their listing of official language, therefore the decision to include them into the five-state EAC may not be that easy unless the states promise to take crash courses in the language.

Source: http://dailynews.co.tz/home

So now EAC has 4 potential future member states.

[bantugbro]

Sugar smuggling thrives in Tarime
BY CORRESPONDENT
16th September 2011

The sugar smuggling business is thriving at the Sirari border town in Tarime district, Mara region, creating sugar scarcity in the district'
The scarcity has led to a kilo of the commodity to sell at 3,000/- instead of the normal price of 1,700/-.
Speaking to this reporter recently, Gosebe, Kubiterere, Borega and Kogaja villagers and Sirari residents said illegal sugar business was mostly done at night and the police at the road block in Nkende Magena area were not effective to contain the situation.
They said there were over 20 trucks transporting sugar, rice and maize across the border to Kenya daily.
It is reported that a 50-kilo-sugar sack fetched up to 140,000/- in Isebania, Kenya, while in Tarime it fetched only 130,000/- and because of this businesspeople prefer to sell their sugar in Kenya, where they earn more.
This reporter noted some signs of corruption in Nkende area and at the Magenna road block, which made Tarime MP Nyambari Nyangwine (CCM) and district council chairman Amos Sagara to complain, saying the illegal business was denying the government a lot of revenue.
Source:
ippmedia.com

[bantugbro]

Political parties in EA ‘disregarding integration issue'
Thursday, 15 September 2011 22:52


‘‘I must confess that it’s only my party within the region which has stated the need for integration” KENYA PRIME MINISTER RAILA ODINGA

By Bernard Lugongo
The Citizen Rep orter
Nairobi. Political parties in East Africa were yesterday accused of excluding regional integration from their election manifestos and constitutions.Kenya Prime Minister Raila Odinga said when opening the East African political parties’ consultative meeting that parties should include in their manifestos the issue of East African integration if the region was to make the envisaged political merger a reality.

Mr Odinga, leader of Kenya’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), said the tendency of political parties in East Africa to shunt integration aside amounted to sabotage.He added that although there were dozens of political parties in the region, only one had seen the importance of incoråporating regional integration issue in its policies.

“The integration must be part and parcel of party manifestos. I must confess that it’s only my party within the region which has stated the need for the integration,” he said, adding: “Just as East African Community integration must embrace political parties, political parties must also embrace the integration process.”

However, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) also strongly advocated regional integration during election campaigns in the country early this year. Mr Odinga said it should become the responsibility of party leaders and ordinary members to ensure that party policies regarding the East African Community (EAC) were developed and implemented.

“The other side of the coin is that the integration process will open up tremendous opportunities in our region. We need these opportunities for our people, and we must work seriously towards party collaboration across national boundaries to realise our objectives.

“No nation, let alone any political party, is an island in today’s globalised world. To be relevant in that world, we need visions that go beyond our national borders,” Mr Odinga said.It was thus political parties with an international outlook that would be truly effective in supporting the EAC integration process, and helping to move it forward, he added.

“I challenge parties to ensure that the integration process remains consistently high on their agenda…we politicians must take the lead by being committed to working together.”

Kenya’s Assistant Minister for EAC Affairs, Mr Peter Munya, earlier said that the ultimate goal for East African countries was to have political federation, but that could only be achieved through stakeholders’ participation.

Political parties could help the region attain the goal by shaping national agenda and mobilising citizens, he said.
“Here, political parties have no option, but to look beyond borders to achieve political federation in the EAC for the benefit of people in the region,” he said, and urged partied to share ideas and create political linkage.

EAC Deputy Secretary General Beatrice Kiraso said integration was a political process that required the full participation of all those concerned.She urged parties to pursue the EAC vision of having a stable and united regional bloc.

Source:
http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/news/-/1...egration-issue

[bantugbro]

Pinda: Sell seized sugar at govt price
BY CORRESPONDENT
24th September 2011

Says it is determined to help Tanzania end power blues


Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda has ordered Tarime District authorities to ensure that all the 1,655 bags of sugar impounded while being transported illegally to Kenya are sold to local residents at the price set by the government.
He gave the directive at a rally here yesterday attended by government officials and residents of this municipality at the end of his week-long official tour of Mara Region.
A report on the region handed over to him on Thursday showed that the sugar in question was being lined up for smuggling into the neighbouring country, he said.
According to the PM, sugar smuggling has for long been roaring business in Tarime District despite the presence of roadblocks and enhanced inspection at border posts.
He applauded the police for doing a good job in striving to keep the criminal activity in check, adding though that unscrupulous elements including businesspeople continue to stubbornly buy sugar in bulk and smuggle it into neighbouring countries where the item is in short supply.
“I have directed the relevant authorities to hold the seized sugar and sell the entire stock at a price everyone can afford. We want to see who will dare complain over the decision,” he said.
“We are determined to end the smuggling of sugar, so police should not entertain or tolerate such dishonest traders. I have been told that there are too many roadblocks in place and this ironically facilitates the illegal exportation of sugar. We are working on this problem,” he declared, advising police to think of reducing the number of roadblocks as a way of ensuring more effective monitoring.
Alarmingly rampant sugar smuggling was recently reported at Sirari border post, a situation said to have touched off acute scarcity in Tarime District that saw the price per kilo rise from the 1,700/- fixed by the government to as high as 3,000/-.
On Thursday, police announced a countrywide operation meant to contain the smuggling of sugar to neighbouring countries and ensure that traders complied with the government directive on the indicative price for the item.
The development came just a day after Pinda announced that the government would consider deploying the military to end the smuggling following reports that some police officers had a hand in the racket.
Director of Criminal Investigation Robert Manumba told the media in Dar es Salaam yesterday that police had not failed to solve the problem and would use the coming two weeks “fighting to ensure that no more sugar is smuggled by taking appropriate measures against defiant traders”.
He said investigations had shown that the shortage of sugar was the work of traders hoarding the item to create scarcity in the market so that they could sell it at a price that would guarantee them a huge profit margin.
Addressing a rally at Bunda in Mara Region on Tuesday, the PM said some police officers have been using phones to notify their colleagues at roadblocks that it was all clear and they could safely release vehicles carrying illegal sugar across the border.
“We have sugar factories here and they are producing enough of the item and to spare. We have also established that some traders have been hiking the price and then, in collaboration with some police officers, selling the commodity outside the country,” he noted.
Major sugar producers in Tanzania such as Kagera Sugar and Kilombero Sugar have long declared that they produce enough quantities of the item and there should be no scarcity.
But the sugar is routinely smuggled to other East African Community partner states, where the commodity fetches higher prices chiefly owing to scarcity.
While retailers in Tanzania are directed to sell a kg of sugar at not more than 1,700/-, the current sub-whole price stands at as high as 110,000/- per 50-kilo bag, and the retail price at between 2,300/- and 2,500/- a kilo.
Meanwhile, in Kenya a kg of the item fetches Kshs 210, which, at the current exchange rate, is 3,570/-. In Uganda it is sold at Ush 6,000 (equivalent to 3,400/-) and in Burundi it is BFrancs 2,000 (about 3,100/-) per kilo.
Source:
www.ippmedia.com

[bantugbro]

Museveni, JK agree to speed-up joint railway
BY GADIOSA LAMTEY
4th October 2011

President Jakaya Kikwete receives Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam yesterday. According to an official, President Museveni was in Tanzania for a one-day working visit. (Photo: Khalfan Said)

Tanzania and Uganda yesterday agreed to speed-up construction of the Tanga-Musoma-Uganda railway.
The two countries also agreed to expand Tanga and Musoma ports as well as to build a new port in Uganda for feeding the new railway line intended to connect the two countries.
The agreements were reached during a brief visit by Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, who jetted in Dar es Salaam for official talks with his counterpart, President Jakaya Kikwete.
The talks were held at the State House after President Museveni was received at the Julius Nyerere International Airport by his host. The Ugandan leader left shortly after the talks.
During the talks, the two leaders consented to speed-up the construction of the railway line to open up the third Ugandan gateway for cargo transportation from the Indian Ocean.
Other gateways that Uganda uses for transportation of its cargo to and from the Indian Ocean are the Dar es Salaam port in Tanzania and Mombasa port in neighbouring Kenya.
They said the construction must start as soon as possible and the two formed a task force to supervise the process. The task force will be formed by ministers of transport, finance and foreign affairs of the two countries.
Under the initiative, goods will be transported by rail from Tanga port to Musoma, where they will be ferried to Uganda through Lake Victoria.
According to a State House press statement released after the talks, the two leaders made the decision due to the benefits of the railway line to the economies of the two countries.
“They have also made the decision taking into account that without close and proper supervision of the two counties of Tanzania and Uganda, it will take many years for the railway line to be constructed,” it said.
The idea to have a railway line connecting the two countries from Tanga to Musoma was initiated by the first President of Tanzania, the late Julius Nyerere, but its implementation was delayed due to various reasons.
The Uganda leader arrived in the country around 11am at the airport where he inspected a guard of honour, watched traditional dances before proceeding to the State House for official talks with Kikwete.

Source:
www.ippmedia.com

[TZBoy]

The East African Community (EAC) is set to launch its fourth development strategy (2011-2020) focusing on boosting industry, energy, agriculture and food security.

Speaking in Arusha yesterday during the opening session of the EAC pre-budget conference, EAC deputy secretary-general charged with Finance and Administration, Dr Julius Rotich said the strategy would take a long-term view, spanning the EAC’s second decade.

“This will be a decade of concretising the community. It will involve a rigorous application to the challenges of the socio-economic transformation of East Africa,” he said. However, he did give the exact time-frame for the strategy.

Dr Rotich informed the delegates from all five partner states (Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi) that the strategy would come with ambitious plans to implement various master plans in industrial development, energy, as well as agriculture and food security.

“Individually, and collectively, the partner states are determined to achieve the status of a middle income economy between 2020 and 2030; and to move our region from a largely agricultural economy to industrial based economy,” he said.

Dr Rotich expressed his hope that the implementation of the strategy would stimulate investments, promote employment and growth; and lead to increased diversification as well as major transformation of the region’s economy, including poverty reduction.

The official further noted that great EAC challenge was sensitised and motivated to access the advantages and opportunities coming with the regional bloc’s common market protocol.

By Lusekelo Philemon
Source: http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=34114

[bantugbro]

EAC economies among fastest growing in Africa

ARUSHA, TANZANIA-Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda are among the six fastest growing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the East African Community (EAC) Secretary General Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera.
"Of the six fastest growing economies in Sub Saharan Africa, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Mozambique, three are members of our Community," Sezibera said last week at the launching of the EAC Vision Consultative Group in Arusha, Tanzania.
He said this pattern is replicated even when considering sector specific growth.
"Two of the four fastest growers in the financial services sector; Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Ghana, are East African, while Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia are among the three fastest growing countries in the hospitality sector," he explained.
Sezibera said Rwanda is the fastest doing business reformer in Africa, and is among the top five globally for two years running while of the three Sub Saharan Countries with the highest infrastructure outlays, Uganda, Kenya and Ghana, two are in East Africa," he said.
He added that the EAC has within a relatively short time since its establishment in 2000, realized tremendous progress in regional co-operation and significant impact on regional development.
"The region's combined GDP has risen to $78b up from $20b in 1999 and following the enlargement of the EAC in 2007, the EAC region now boasts a sizeable market of a combined population of 130m," he said.
Sezibera noted that with the consolidation of the Customs Union and establishment of the Common Market, the regional programmes have reached its threshold with most of the region's development Master Plans have been taken to the implementation stages.
These include projects and programmes in infrastructure, roads, railways, inland waterways, ports and harbours, Communications/ICT, energy and Civil Aviation, which have been prioritized under the 4th EAC Development Strategy (2011-2016).
"EAC is also intensifying activities in agriculture and rural development, industrialization, Lake Victoria Basin Development among others,".
The EAC boss said the secretariat has also prioritized trade and investments promotion activities to the traditional markets in Europe and North America and the emerging markets of Asia and Latin America.
EAC is also participating as a bloc at the forefront of the Tripartite EAC-COMESA-SADC initiative towards the establishment of the Grand Free Trade Area of the three major African regional economic communities.

Source:
http://www.busiweek.com/11/the-eac-i...wing-in-africa

[bantugbro]

Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi plan a $340m power project
Sunday, 13 November 2011 21:55

Mwanza. The governments of Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi are planning a $340 million worth joint electricity project in Ngara District, Kagera region in Tanzania. The project will make it necessary for the governments to compensate 125 households from 3 villages near the Rusumo waterfalls.

The project is scheduled to start next year under funds from the central banks of the three countries. A researcher on the Nile Basin, Naftali Omesa, said 82 households in Ngara District, and 13 in Biharamuro District would be affected.

He said a total of 17.9 acres would be taken over. (By The Citizen Correspondent and Agencies)

Source:
www.thecitizen.co.tz

[TZBoy]

THE East African Community (EAC) Summit has approved the Protocol on Cooperation in Defence subject to amendment in line with Tanzania’s demands.

The pact was due to be signed on Sunday but Tanzania put its foot down and refused to sign till some clauses regarding defence cooperation in the region were amended.

The 13th Heads of State Summit subsequently agreed to amend article 17 of the Protocol to provide for partner states to come up with a Mutual Defence Pact within one year.

The Minister for East African Cooperation, Mr Samwel Sitta, said the Summit’s decision was ‘a victory’ to Tanzania, which stood firm throughout the negotiations by the Council of Ministers before the Summit.

He said Tanzania is a state party to Southern African Development Community (SADC) Defence Pact and therefore needed a clear understanding on how to deal with the two protocols.

Tanzania also rejected a clause that stated that an attack on a member state should be deemed as an attack on all member states, saying further clarification was needed on what would happen if the attack was provoked by that member state.

Article 6 of the SADC’s Mutual Defence Pact states that: “ An armed attack against a State Party shall be considered a threat to regional security. Such an attack shall be met with immediate collective action by all State Parties.”

Tanzania also wanted a clear clause on what would happen in case member states went to war. The Summit agreed that these clauses would be negotiated.

Mr Sitta said the Summit also agreed not to include the issue of land on the list of federation matters.

Mr Sitta explained that Tanzania has always been careful in dealing with EAC issues because it is the one that suffered most when the community collapsed in 1977 as the country had invested heavily in harbours and railways. “This is why we are asking practical questions,” Mr Sitta said.

The minister said Vice President Mohamed Gharib Bilal told the heads of state during informal consultations that Tanzania wanted integration process no to be rushed, saying the countries needed to enjoy the benefits of common market and customs union before rushing to political federation.

Mr Sitta explained that while the members continue to reap the benefits of integration, EAC experts can continue working on the forthcoming protocols like monetary union.

During the Summit, Tanzania also made it clear that it was not ready to accept the use of Identification Cards in lieu of travel documents within the region.

The outgoing Summit chairman, Burundi president Pierre Nkurunziza, called on member states to widen and deepen integration by implementing the Common Market Protocol that provides for total free movement of goods and people in the region.

“We need to be more ambitious and work together because together we are stronger and individually we are weaker,” he said.

President Nkurunziza also handled over the chairmanship of the EAC for the next one year to Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki.

Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Musa Sirma (from Kenya) presented several key documents which were later approved by Chairman Kibaki.

Mr Jean Ping, the chairman of African Union Commission, said the Commission was working on modalities to establish a central bank, investment bank and a monetary fund to foster development in the continent.

Earlier on, protracted informal discussions among heads of state ensued as they tried to reach consensus on issues regarding the federation.

The discussions led to the overhaul of the timetable with the heads of state spending seven hours instead of one and half hours doing the informal talk.

Meanwhile the Heads of State Summit rejected Sudan’s request to join the East African Community (EAC) as the country failed to meet the basic criterion of geographical proximity to the community.

Reading the communiqué of the Summit, the EAC Secretary General, Dr Richard Sezibera, said the Summit had decided that Sudan, which applied in June this year, could not be considered for admission at this point in time.

The EAC treaty and rules of procedures for admission of foreign countries require that there must be geographical proximity (bordering) to and interdependence between the new state and the EAC’s partner states.

Other criteria include adherence to universally acceptable principles of good governance, democracy, rule of law and observance of human rights and social justice.

Applying countries also need to have an established and maintained market driven economy with social and economic policies that are compatible with those of the EAC.

The Summit also received a report that Republic of South Sudan had submitted its application, directing the Council of Ministers to verify the application on the basis of criteria for admission of foreign countries.

“The council has been directed to submit recommendations to the summit at its 10th extraordinary meeting which will be held in April next year,” Dr Sezibera said.

From FARAJA MGWABATI in Bujumbura
http://dailynews.co.tz/home/?n=26013&cat=home

[TZBoy]

TANZANIA has reiterated its position on the East African Community’s (EAC) integration process, insisting it must be undertaken step-by- step as stipulated in the Treaty establishing the Community.

''We don't want to see this community collapse like the former because it will affect many people,'' Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of East African Cooperation Dr Stergomena Tax said on Tuesday.

Dr Tax, who was briefing journalists in the aftermath of the EAC Summit in Bujumbura last week, said Tanzania wants the citizens to enjoy the benefits of Common Market and Customs Union protocols first before moving on to the next stages.

She said Common Market and Customs Union are important stages that provide benefits to the people through harmonization of various laws to facilitate trade.

''Attaining the Common Market in ten years means we are already too fast but we want people to feel it and be part of the integration because we say the current EAC is people-centred,'' she added.

Dr Tax said it was not true that Tanzania was delaying the process of integration but the country wants interests and concerns of the country addressed and taken on board.

''Some people say Tanzania is worried about ceding its sovereignty but that is not true because we made many compromises when negotiating the Common Market and Customs Union. We will continue as negotiations continue,'' she noted.

Ms Tax reminded the critics that 75 per cent of Tanzanians rejected the idea to fast tracking the political federation, which must be respected.

On the Summit, she said it approved a policy and strategy for industrialization, a protocol on cooperation in defence, protocol on prevention and combating of corruption, protocol on immunity and privileges of the community and its institutions.

The Summit mandated the secretariat to produce a roadmap for establishment and strengthening of EAC secretariat, organs and institutions of the community.

Some institutions to be established include Customs Union Authority, Common Market Authority, Monetary Union Authority, Central Bank for Monetary Union and Unified Federal Treasury.

She said the Summit also approved that Headquarters of Kiswahili, Health and Science and Technology commissions will be in Tanzania (Zanzibar), Burundi and Rwanda respectively.

By FARAJA MGWABATI, 6th December 2011 @ 12:00
http://dailynews.co.tz/home/?n=26167&cat=home

[TZBoy]

A huge question mark has been curved by the conspicuous absence of four Heads of State of the five-member East African Community (EAC), at celebrations to commemorate the 50th independence anniversary of co-member Tanzania, held in Dar es Salaam on Friday.

Observers are puzzled over whether the absence was a normal occurrence or a big snub of the country, and specifically its leader, President Jakaya Kikwete.

Tanzania’s regional partners were represented by high-profile representatives, but their below-presidential ranks raised eyebrows, as observers feel that, the top-most leaders should have attended in person, as a demonstration of solidarity.

Withholding the gesture has raised speculations, considering, especially, that, unlike relatively lighter events like witnessing the investiture of a president after an election or re-election, Tanzania was marking 50 long years of nationhood. Plus, there has been nothing to suggest that any of the presidents in the neighbourhood had travelled abroad, or had been tied up by too hugely taxing domestic commitments, to spare a day or two off to give a close neighbour company at the latter’s momentous event.


President Kikwete’s colleagues in the EAC are Mr Mwai Kibaki (Kenya), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Paul Kagame (Rwanda) and Pierre Nkurunzinza of Burundi.



Out of 14 Presidents who were reportedly invited to attend the golden jubilee, only five turned up but they were mainly drawn from the South Africa Development Corporation block, of which Tanzania is a member.


The guest presidents were Namibia’s Mr Hifikepunye Pohamba, Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania and Ikililou Dhoinine of Comoros.


Kenya and Burundi sent their Vice Presidents Mr Kalonzo Musyoka and Mr Therence Simunguruza respectively, while Uganda and Rwanda were represented by Prime Ministers Messers Amama Mbabazi and Bernald Makuza, respectively. North Korea, Gambia and Botswana were also represented.

From as early as when official entourages sneaked their way into the Uhuru stadium that hosted the celebrations, curious observers begun circulating SMS messages enquiring why not a single EAC President had shown up.


A majority of them appeared to suggest that the absence of the other top men at a time when the momentum for East African political federation seemed to be building up, was not positive, or at least sent the wrong signal.

Efforts to get comments on the issue from local government officials, as well as those of the other EAC member countries didn’t yield results, as phone calls and email messages went unanswered.



However, opinion was sharply divided among a cross section of people who volunteered their views. And separately on the social forums, commentators wondered if the other EAC member states were sidelining Tanzania, as a silent demonstration of misgivings over its hard-line position toward formation of the envisaged federation.

Last week, President Kikwete and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame skipped a regional heads of state summit in Bujumbura, Burundi, that was attended by the other three presidents. They each sent junior-ranked representatives.


The Speaker of National Assembly Ms Anne Makinda also skipped a parallel meeting of all regional Speakers and did not even send a representative.

But during the summit, Tanzania caused uneasiness, by boycotting the final signing event of the ministerial committee on two important protocols on the Political Integration and Defence Cooperation. It was protesting over the inclusion of land and security matters in the two protocols.

Even though the country finally endorsed the protocols the following day, it forced amendments that had first to be endorsed by the Presidents present.
Kigoma North MP Mr Zitto Kabwe yesterday said he was apprehensive of the absence from the Uhuru fete by the four EAC Presidents. “Diplomatically it was not a good sign for Tanzania….I believe it must have had something to do with the way we carried ourselves in Bujumbura,” said the Chadema MP and deputy leader of official opposition in Parliament.

According to the MP, Tanzania’s hard line stance on some of the regional issues may have not gone down well with the other countries. “You cannot rule out the possibility that they are not happy with the way we run our diplomacy. Mr Samuel Sitta should come out and explain,” said Mr Kabwe.

He warned that Tanzania may be going the UK way over integration issues.
His position was shared by a distinguished political commentator, Prof Mwesiga Baregu of St. Augustine University, who observed that Tanzania portrayed a negative image in Burundi. “The miss on Friday may be just one sign of annoyance with us.”

The prof who attended the Burundi meeting, said: “My worry is that the rest of EAC states look at Tanzania as the stumbling block and may begin to isolate it.”
He said it was time the government decided to move on like the rest or ditch the whole integration plan, warning that the countries may take a decision similar to that of the EU where slow reformers were not allowed to hold others back.

But the University of Dar es Salaam’s Political Science and Public Administration Lecturer, Dr Benson Bana, said nothing much should be read into the matter.

He said the mere fact that the neighbouring countries sent delegations showed that the spirit of the EAC was alive.
According to Dr Bana, President Museveni was in the country not long ago. He however admitted that the country may be sidelined by other EAC member states.

According to Bana, Tanzania may not want to fast-track the political federation owing to its experience in the Union of the republic of Tanzania and the need to protect other national interests.

A nother senior lecturer of the University of Dar es Salaam, Dr. Azaveli Lwaitama, on his part also said that Tanzania was not on the right track when it comes to matters of the EAC political federation but stated that this may not have any link with the failure by the presidents in question to attend the ceremony.

The Citizen Reporter
http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/componen...ebrations.html

Interesting view.

[kiligoland]

Tanzanian sues EAC Secretary General

Arusha, 27 January, 2012 (EANA)--In a dramatic turning of events, a Tanzanian has filed a case at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ)in Arusha seeking to declare null and void aspects of the East African Community (EAC) Summit communiqué released in Bujumbura last November that mandated the Secretariat to spearhead the establishment of a regional political federation, claiming the directive breached the Treaty.
In an application filed on January 20, 2010 and given court reference number 01 of 2012, Dar es Salaam resident Timothy Alvin Kahoho also claims that the summit grossly breached the EAC Treaty in particular articles 6,7 and 123(6) by mandating “the Secretariat to produce a road map for establishing and strengthening the institutions identified by a Team of Experts as critical for the functioning of the Customs union, Common Market and Monetary Union.”
Mr Kahoho also strongly contests the directive to the Secretariat to “formulate an action plan for the purpose of operationalising the other recommendations in the report of the Team of Experts, and (to) propose an action plan on, and a draft model of the structure of the East African Political Federation for consideration by the summit at its 14th ordinary meeting.”
A journalist and activist, Mr Kahoho also argues that “the summit approved the protocol on Immunities and Privileges for East African Community, its organs and institutions for conclusion in breach of Articles 73 and 138 of the treaty.”
He further wants the court to declare that “the Summit has no mandate under the treaty to exclude partner states and the Council (of ministers) from performing functions vested to them by the Treaty and which have an impact in the integration process.”He also prays for the costs of the application and any other reliefs that the court may deem fit to grant.
The court gave the Secretariat 45 days to respond to Mr Kahoho’s application, which no doubt will set a number of precedents in regional administrative law since it is the first time that a citizen has come forward to challenge the decision of the heads of state, otherwise referred to as the Authority of the regional body.
Mr Kahoho argues further that the protocols on Immunities and Privileges for East African Community employees, its organs and institutions and Monetary Union have not yet been negotiated and their establishment agreed upon by the partner states. He therefore sees the move as an usurpation of the powers of partner states and vest them in the Secretariat, which is against the letter and spirit of the EAC treaty, argues.
The applicant further pleads that he is aggrieved by the directives of the Summit and believes that if they are not rectified, the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African community shall be irrevocably breached “setting a very dangerous precedent for the future decisions and directives of other organs of the Community” given the fact that they were made by the highest organ of the regional grouping.
Mr Kahoho has petitioned the court on the strength of Article 30(1), which states: “Subject to the provisions of Article 27 of this Treaty, any person who is resident in a Partner State may refer for determination by the Court, the legality of any Act, regulation, directive, decision or action of a Partner State or an institution of the Community on the grounds that such Act, regulation, directive, decision or action is unlawful or is an infringement of the provisions of this Treaty.”
The case will no doubt stir debate and attract attention particularly in Tanzania where political federation has evoked considerable resentment and the directive by the Bujumbura summit is seen in some quarters as an attempt to federate the region via the back door. Whichever way, the court’s opinion shall be as landmark a decision as Mr Kahoho’s case too stands to test democracy and rule of law even in a federated East Africa.
Efforts to get comments on the case from the EACJ Registrar, Dr John Ruhangisa proved futile yesterday.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY

[mwanamwiwa]

Tafadhali wacheni Kuaribia Jumuia ya Africa Mashariki wakati!

[bantugbro]

Originally Posted by mwanamwiwa

Tafadhali wacheni Kuaribia Jumuia ya Africa Mashariki wakati!

[TZBoy]

The government has said that the establishment of the East African Federation can only become a reality after the full implementation of the Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union by the partner states.

This was said yesterday by the Karyabukama Kiliba who is the Director of the Political, Defence and Security department in the Ministry of East African Cooperation.

Addressing reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday the director said there have been misleading reports about Tanzania’s objections to fast-tracking the East African political federation.

“Our government has always been blamed that it has been deliberately delaying various stages of the integration process. The claims are baseless because our country believes that the community has more benefits than costs,” said Kiliba.

The director said however that the government has always been stressing that the integration must go stage by stage as has been stipulated in the treaty that established the EAC.

The treaty states: “The Partner States undertake to establish among themselves and in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty, a Customs Union, a Common Market , subsequently a Monetary Union and ultimately a Political Federation in order to strengthen and regulate the industrial, commercial, infrastructural, cultural, social, political and other relations of the Partner States to the end that there shall be accelerated, harmonious and balanced development and sustained expansion of economic activities, the benefit of which shall be equitably shared.”

The government stressed that it is only when all the stages of the integration are fully accomplished, that it can say for sure that it is ready to discuss modalities of the political federation.

Kiliba said however that they wanted to avoid the pitfalls that led to the collapse of the former EAC in 1977. “We don’t want to repeat similar mistakes which could lead to the collapse of the current community,” stressed the director.

“Our government must safeguard and defend the interests of its people in all the discussions concerning the integration just as the other member states of the East African Community are safeguarding and defending their peoples’ interests,” he stressed.

He said a political federation is a fourth stage in the integration process and therefore it can’t be discussed differently from other stages of the integration adding: “We must effectively and appropriately implement a Customs Union, a Common Market, and later a Monetary Union.”

On the rule of consensus which Tanzania supports, the director said the rule is very important in meeting the ends of the integration. The rule calls for not using votes, but for members to agree with each other.

Kiliba said if the rule is broken and votes are called for, then the integration will not be reached.

“It is so because no member state will accept to be dragged by another member,” he noted.

In November last year, Tanzania refused to sign key EAC documents which included the controversial land, foreign and security issues.

BY PATRICK KISEMBO
http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=38047

[tanzan]

Originally Posted by mwanamwiwa

Tafadhali wacheni Kuaribia Jumuia ya Africa Mashariki wakati!

Jenga Hoja yako vizuri badala ya kurusha blanket statement. Soma pointi 3 nilizo bold...hizo ndo haki za kila mwanachama wa Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki.

The government has said that the establishment of the East African Federation can only become a reality after the full implementation of the Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union by the partner states.

This was said yesterday by the Karyabukama Kiliba who is the Director of the Political, Defence and Security department in the Ministry of East African Cooperation.

Addressing reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday the director said there have been misleading reports about Tanzania’s objections to fast-tracking the East African political federation.

“Our government has always been blamed that it has been deliberately delaying various stages of the integration process. The claims are baseless because our country believes that the community has more benefits than costs,” said Kiliba.

The director said however that the government has always been stressing that the integration must go stage by stage as has been stipulated in the treaty that established the EAC.

The treaty states: “The Partner States undertake to establish among themselves and in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty, a Customs Union, a Common Market , subsequently a Monetary Union and ultimately a Political Federation in order to strengthen and regulate the industrial, commercial, infrastructural, cultural, social, political and other relations of the Partner States to the end that there shall be accelerated, harmonious and balanced development and sustained expansion of economic activities, the benefit of which shall be equitably shared.”

The government stressed that it is only when all the stages of the integration are fully accomplished, that it can say for sure that it is ready to discuss modalities of the political federation.

Kiliba said however that they wanted to avoid the pitfalls that led to the collapse of the former EAC in 1977. “We don’t want to repeat similar mistakes which could lead to the collapse of the current community,” stressed the director.

“Our government must safeguard and defend the interests of its people in all the discussions concerning the integration just as the other member states of the East African Community are safeguarding and defending their peoples’ interests,” he stressed.

He said a political federation is a fourth stage in the integration process and therefore it can’t be discussed differently from other stages of the integration adding: “We must effectively and appropriately implement a Customs Union, a Common Market, and later a Monetary Union.”

On the rule of consensus which Tanzania supports, the director said the rule is very important in meeting the ends of the integration. The rule calls for not using votes, but for members to agree with each other.

Kiliba said if the rule is broken and votes are called for, then the integration will not be reached.

“It is so because no member state will accept to be dragged by another member,” he noted.

In November last year, Tanzania refused to sign key EAC documents which included the controversial land, foreign and security issues.

BY PATRICK KISEMBO
http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=38047
January 30th, 2012 09:11 PM