East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 28th June, 2018: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has commended the East African Community for leading the Inter-Burundi Dialogue process and thereby assist Burundians to restore stability in their country.
Mr. Guterres further described the EAC as having strong potential for integration in Africa backed by homogeneity and vast economic opportunities.
Mr. Guterres, who met the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge, on 26th June, 2018 at the UN Headquarters in New York, reiterated the African Union/United Nations complementary on all spheres of cooperation and reaffirmed the need for African leadership in Peace and Stability in the continent.
The Secretary General disclosed that he will be participating in the upcoming AU Summit in Mauritania where an action plan for the AU/UN partnership will be concluded.
On his part, Mr. Charles Njoroge, who is in New York to participate in the 3rd Review Conference on the implementation of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and also to attend the UN High Level Conference on Counter Terrorism, reaffirmed the EAC’s commitment to full implementation of the UN Programme on SALW consistent with the goals set in SDG 16.4.
Mr. Njoroge noted that the Community appreciates the importance of a peaceful, stable and secure environment and respect for human rights to achieve sustainable development and informed the UN Secretary General that the Community has unwavering support for the work of the Peacebuilding Commission particularly in respect to the Burundi and the South Sudan peace processes.
Mr. Njoroge hailed the Partnership on Burundi developed through the Joint Technical team that brings together the UN/AU/EAC to collectively and synergistically support the Burundi process and the EU support. He declared that “EAC remain committed to walking with Burundians towards peaceful credible elections in 2020”.
The EAC official also informed the UN Secretary General that EAC had a standing MoU with the UNHCR to support comprehensive and proximate management of Refugees in the region in conformity with the provisions of the regional and global instruments on the same.
Meanwhile, addressing the 3rd review conference on the implementation of the UN programme of action on SALW and its tracing instrument, the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge, stated that the East African Community had launched the 5th Development Strategy, which has specific targets on SALW control that relate to the AU silencing the Guns Initiative 2020.
He informed the Conference that the Community views the implementation of the Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security signed on 19th April 2017 as providing an enabling vehicle for SALW control initiatives with an eye on addressing both the demand and supply driving factors.
He disclosed that at regional level, the EAC had established a Regional Ballistics Referral facility in Kampala, Uganda through EU Support to procurement and commissioning of a state of the art Integrated Ballistics Identification System, intended to address the dual challenges of enhancing investigative capacity in arms related offences but also ease the tracing instrument.
“This is one of the flagship interventions under the East and Southern Africa Maritime Security Project intended to among others Interdict Sea bound illicit trafficking of SALW, and EAC remains immensely appreciative to the EU for this support,” said the Deputy Secretary General.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 26 June, 2018: The East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Amb Liberat Mfumukeko has called on the Partner States to support innovative developments from the private and public sectors that bring the vision of a fully integrated and developed EAC closer to reality.
''I realized the urgency for East Africa to grasp the business opportunities offered by new technologies to create a competitive advantage for industries in our region.''
The Secretary General was speaking during the opening session of Google Project Loon Workshop at the Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi,Kenya
He disclosed to the participants that the EAC had established the East African Science and Technology Commission; the East African Health Research Commission and the Inter-University Council of East Africa because it believes that education, mainly sciences and technology, as well as research are the foundation of any competitive economy.
Amb. Mfumukeko added that the EAC’s 5th Development Strategy covering the period 2017 to 2022, underscores the centrality of technology and industrialisation in the overall development of the Community as the cornerstone for regional development .
"It is an exciting time for EAC that the launch of the balloon anchored internet infrastructure by Loon targeting the under-served areas of the world makes its debut on the continent in the EAC Region'', added the Secretary General.
''I assure Loon that the choice of EAC will undoubtedly anchor the Project on a positive growth and expansion trajectory on the African Continent'' The EAC Secretary General reiterated how critical the access to ICT in the EAC integration process underpinnings to unlock the growth and market potential for the region and contribute to equitable and sustainable development envisaged in the EAC’s Vision.
He appealed to the Partner States to embrace Google Project Loon and extend to it the support required to launch and operate in all the Partner States. "I thank Loon for choosing EAC as the launch pad for this clearly transformational Project", added Amb Mfumukeko.
Meanwhile, the EAC Secretary General on behalf of the Secretariat and Ms Anna Prouse, Google Project Loon Coordinator signed a Letter of Intent to deepen cooperation and collaborate in good faith on provision of access to internet for all East African citizens.
Earlier in a day the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology, Hon. Joe Mucheru congratulated Google Project Loon for the ambitious project that is geared towards providing internet access to rural and remote areas in the region.
In his speech, which was read by the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Information,Communication and Technology, Mr. Sammy Hemere, Hon. Mucheru belived that the region has the repsonsiblity to use broadband as a power force for change.
''I am convinced that all of us here, have the united purpose to facilitate increased accessibility, affordability, availabilty, reliabilty and usage of broadband services throughout our region'', added the Cabinet Secretary.
The two-day workshop is aimed at providing stakeholders in the East African Community with an overview of Project Loon and its benefits for the states in the region; share technical information on balloon operations including the safety of flights and landing; the operations compliance with international and national safety and security requirements and standards; and to seek engagement and support from the EAC States and stakeholders in providing necessary overflight and landing rights to Loon balloons for their operations in the region.
Notes to Editors
Nearly two-thirds of the world’s population do not have Internet access. There is no one single company or technology that is able to solve this issue alone as the barriers to access are many and varied: limited financial resources, lack of content relevancy, lack of language and digital literacy as well as limited or non-existent basic infrastructure.
Project Loon is a network of balloons 20km above the Earth’s surface, well above aircraft and weather events, aimed at addressing the connectivity challenge by bringing Internet coverage to rural and remote areas, areas affected by disaster and mobile Internet coverage black spots. Transmitting signal from way up in the sky, Loon balloons can provide a much larger coverage area than terrestrial LTE infrastructure and so are perfectly suited to covering larger areas with lower population density.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
…calls for its transformation to regional Assembly
East African Legislative Assembly, Luanda, Angola: 26 June, 2018:EALA is rooting for its Southern African counterpart, the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF), to speedily transform itself in to a regional Parliament so that it may effectively address the needs of its constituents.
Delivering a goodwill message from the EALA Speaker at the 43rd Plenary of the SADC-PF, which commenced yesterday morning in Luanda, Angola, EALA Member, Hon Fatuma Ibrahim Ali rooted for the SADC-PF transformation into a Legislative Assembly, saying it was good for the SADC region and for Africa.
“Evidently, Africa needs strong institutions at this point in time and in the future to steer her to the much-cherished unity and prosperity of a united continent. EALA would like to fully associate itself with the SADC-PF towards looking into all aspects relating to the establishment of a regional Parliament”, Hon Fatuma Ali said.
“We believe that together, we can transform Regional Economic Communities (RECs) into one United African bloc in the near future for the common good of all people of Africa. Our co-operation should therefore be seen as building blocks from which we can draw vital lessons”, the legislator added.
Hon Ali further hailed the recent signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Kigali, Rwanda, saying it would go the extra mile in boosting intra-African trade and in enhancing the region’s industrial content. “Essentially, the Continent must as a necessity, remove all Non-Tariff Barriers on goods and related to services, to smoothen the mega-regional trade agreement, promote development and spur industrialization”, Hon Fatuma said.
The 43rd Plenary Session of SADC-PF, runs through from June 20th until July 1st, 2018 under the theme: Deepening SADC Economic Integration through Industrialisation – the Role of Parliament. In attendance at the Plenary is Hon Mathias Kasamba, EALA Member and Chair of the Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources Committee as well as Senior Public Relations Officer, Bobi Odiko.
Addressing the participants, the President of the Republic of Angola, H.E. João Manuel Goncalves Lourenço reiterated his country’s commitment to the ideals of regional integration in the Southern African region. President Lourenço termed good governance, pace, security and competitiveness as key goals and attributes the SADC region should and must pursue. The President maintained the necessity of economic prosperity of the 14 Member State bloc and rallied on all countries to seek self-introspection. President Lourenco, himself a former Member of SADC-PF said his country had pioneered the establishment of SADC in 1992 and underscored the support of the Summit of Heads of State of SADC.
On his part, Hon Helio de Jesus Pina Sanches, the representative of the President of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), said the continent was looking forward to a time when there is total free movement of persons. Hon Sanches commended the efforts realized by SADC-PF so far as transforming itself in to a regional Parliament is concerned.
The SADC-PF is hoping to transform itself in to a regional Parliament with legislative powers as anticipated under Article 8 of its Constitution. At the moment, SADC-PF is an Advisory caucus of Parliamentarians who are constituted from the 14 Member States. EALA is currently the only regional Assembly in the African continent with legislative powers. The Assembly has to date enacted over 70 pieces of legislation, many of which are currently undergoing assent by the EAC Heads of State Summit.
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For more information, please contact:
Bobi Odiko Senior Public Relations Officer East African Legislative Assembly Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255-27-2508240 Fax: +255-27-2503103 Cell: +255-787-870945, +254-733-718036 Email: BOdiko [at] eachq.org Web: www.eala.org
About the East African Legislative Assembly:
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is the Legislative Organ of the Community and has a cardinal function to further EAC objectives, through its Legislative, Representative and Oversight mandate. It was established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 25th June, 2018: The EAC Secretary General Amb Liberat Mfumukeko over the weekend concluded his working visit to the different Diplomatic Missions in Dar es salaam, Tanzania.
The first visit was at the Chinese Embassy where he met Counsellor Lin Zhiyong, Economic and Business representative of China. The two officials had a lengthy discussion on the status of integration, projects supported by China in the region and new areas of cooperation among other things.
Counsellor Zhiyong called for EAC to take advantage of existing opportunities to export EAC-made products to the Chinese market and extended an invitation to EAC to attend the “China International Import Expo” which will take place in November 2018 in Shanghai. The two officials agreed that a seminar will soon be held to define the areas of cooperation between EAC and China.
At the US Embassy, the Secretary General met Dr. Inmi K. Patterson, Charge d’Affaires. Ms Patterson decried the low awareness about EAC and the progress of integration. She emphasized on the need for information sharing especially on the investment climate as well as EAC countries to make it easy for inter-regional Trade.
Ms Patterson pledged her support to the ongoing discussions between EAC and the US Corporate Council on Africa to enhance trade and partnerships between US and EAC private sector actors.
Amb Mfumukeko concluded his missions by visiting the Ambassador of Japan to Tanzania, H.E Masaharu Yoshida. The Secretary General briefed Amb. Yoshida on the progress of key infrastructure projects supported by the government of Japan.
Oh his part, Amb. Yoshida invited Secretary General to Tokyo International Conference of African Development (TICAD VII) 2019 meeting in Yokohama. He advised that it will be strategic for EAC to participate.
H.E Yoshida informed Secretary General of the African Business Education Initiative for Youth which aimed at providing youths in Africa with opportunities to study at Japanese universities as well as to intern at Japanese enterprises in order to foster sustainable and sound industrial development in Africa.
In all the visits, the Secretary General reiterated on the need for partnership in implementation of the 5th EAC Development Strategy and briefed the missions on the status of integration.
Amb Mfumukeko appealed to the missions to consider supporting regional programs in addition to their bilateral support to countries.
During the three meetings it was agreed that the EAC need to improve on the business climate, eliminate non-tariff barriers and design a way of sharing investment information in a timely manner as well as regular meetings for exchange information.
The Secretary General was accompanied by by the Director of Infrastructure, Dr. Eng. Kamugisha Kazaura and the Chef de Cabinet, Dr. James Njagu.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 21st June 2018: The 11th meeting of the Sectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security (SCAFS) that concluded on 15th June 2018 in Arusha, Tanzania, has directed the Secretariat to urgently convene a meeting of the Technical Working Group on Transboundary Animal and Zoonotic Diseases (TADs) to address the issue of Rift Valley Fever outbreak, which has been reported in the region.
The 11th meeting of the Sectoral Council, which was attended by, among others, Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries and Hon. Eng. Dr. Charles John Tizeba, United Republic of Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture, also directed the Secretariat to include emerging and re-emerging diseases as a permanent agenda item in the subsequent meetings of the Sectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security.
At least 26 people in two north-eastern counties in Kenya are suspected of having contracted Rift Valley Fever (RVF). By 16 June 2018 seven of these cases were confirmed and six of the people had died according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The outbreak was reported to WHO and OIE, the International Organization for Animal Health. In Rwanda, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources confirmed cases of RVF among cattle after samples were tested at the Rwanda Agriculture Board Laboratory. South Sudan reported an outbreak of RVF in March and is reported to be containing the situation.
The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat is closely monitoring the outbreaks and is urging the Partner States that are not yet affected by RVF to step up surveillance to detect any spread of the disease to their territories at an early stage and to inform the public about the risk and about preventive measures.
The affected areas in Kenya include the counties of Wajir and Tana River on the border to Somalia and in Rwanda the districts of Kayonza, Kirehe and Ngoma. Kirehe borders Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda causing a risk for the cross-border spread of RVF.
RVF is a virus disease that is transmitted by infected mosquitos. This year’s heavy rainfall has resulted in widespread flooding in low-lying grasslands. Flooding and standing water enabled a higher number of mosquito eggs than usual to hatch and thus increased the potential for RVF to spread among people and animals. The RVF virus is endemic in the EAC region and has caused repeated outbreaks in the past. It affects primarily ruminant livestock, such as cattle, sheep, goats and camels, and also wildlife, such as buffalos. In these animals it causes abortions and deaths and significant economic loss.
The RVF virus can also affect humans. Most infections are mild, but some people fall severely ill and even die with symptoms such as fever, weakness and bleeding from gums and mouth. The majority of human infections result from direct or indirect contact with the blood, body fluids, or tissues of infected animals. This can happen during slaughtering or butchering, while assisting with animal births, treating the animals and from contact with disposed carcasses or foetuses. Human-to-human transmission of RVF has not been documented.
The EAC Partner States of Kenya and Rwanda have increased their surveillance and put measures in place to stop the disease from spreading further. These measures include cost-free vaccination, restrictions in the movement of animals, bans on slaughtering animals for public consumption and trade bans as well as awareness raising campaigns among the public and especially among herders and small holders. They are advised to immediately report any domestic ruminant that show signs and symptoms of RVF.
Against this backdrop and to supplement the efforts of the Partner States in combating RVF in the Community, the EAC Secretariat urges the owners of livestock, people working with wildlife and citizens in the region to be alert and comply with the following precautionary measures:
Livestock farmers should contact the Veterinary Services Authorities in the respective Partner States for information on vaccinating their animals against RVF and restrict animal movement to limit the spread of RVF;
People in contact with ruminants should practice hand hygiene, wear gloves and other appropriate individual protective equipment when handling sick animals or their tissues or when slaughtering animals;
People should avoid consuming fresh blood, raw milk or animal tissue and products without thoroughly roasting them; and
They should protect themselves against mosquito bites through the use of impregnated mosquito nets, personal insect repellents - if available, light coloured clothing (long-sleeved shirts and trousers) - and by avoiding outdoor activities at peak biting times of mosquitos.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Court of Justice Kigali, 21th June 2018:The East African Court of Justice, First Instance Division on 21st June 2018 delivered Judgment in the matter between The Managing Editor of Mseto & Hali Halisi Publishers Limited and the Attorney General of the United Republic of Tanzania (Reference No. 7 of 2016).
It was the Applicants case that, on 4th August, 2016, Mseto published an article entitled“Waziri amchafua JPM” (“Minister soils JPM”). The news item was to the effect that one Engineer Edwin Ngonyani, an Assistant Minister in President John Pombe Magufuli’s (JPM’s) government had taken bribes from certain persons and entities in a bid to raise funds for President Magufuli’s election campaigns.
Following the publication, on 8th August, 2016 Mseto was served with a notice from Mr. Nape Nnauye, the former Tanzania Minister of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports demanding explanations regarding the published article by 9th August 2016 on specified hours.
On 9th August, 2016, the Applicants responded to the letter by stating that the news item was published to safeguard the image of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania and that of his office and that in the Applicants view, they had committed no illegality. However, on 10th August 2016 the Applicants were issued with an order banning Mseto publication. That, on 11th August 2016 a press conference was held by the Minister where he announced the Order banning Mseto publication.
Among other reasons given verbally during the press were that Mseto has been publishing incitements and false news and it has been cautioned several times. That, on the same day, the Applicants were served with a letter from the Office of the Registrar of newspapers informing them of the above mentioned order that Mseto publishing was banned from 11th August 2016 onwards for a period of 36 months.
The Applicants therefore instituted the Reference challenging the aforesaid Order for being in contravention of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community (EAC). It was the Applicants case that, the order restricts press freedom and the right to freedom of expression, which in turn violates the Respondent State’s obligation to uphold and protect the fundamental and operational principles of the EAC and the universally accepted human rights standards.
Further alleged that the Order made by the Minister pursuant to Section 25 of Tanzania Newspapers Act (repealed) did not specify reasons for making the Order. The Applicants sought among other reliefs a declaration that the Order constitutes a violation of Tanzania’s obligation under the Treaty and a violation of Mseto’s right to freedom of expression.
The Respondent alleged that the right to freedom of expression is not absolute and the Order complies with the Respondent’s obligations under the Treaty, the African Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Further contended that the reasons for the order were set out under Section 25 of the Newspaper Act (repealed) and submits that the Order was made against the Applicant’s newspaper because it was publishing incitements and false news. Further that, the punishment inflicted under Section 25 of the Newspapers Act is reasonable and in conformity with Articles 6(d), 7(2) & 8(1)(c) of the Treaty.
The Court in its Judgment found that the Respondent having failed to establish how the publication in the Mseto newspaper violated the public interest, or the interest of peace and good order of the people, lead to the conclusion that the impugned order was made in violation of the right of freedom of expression provided in Article 18(1) of the Constitution of Tanzania, or as provided for in Articles 19(3) of the ICCPR and 27(2) of the African Charter as a measure of universally accepted human rights standards.
Further, the order derogates from the principles of democracy and adherence to the principles of good governance, the rule of law and social justice. Court also found the order failed to conform with and adhere to the principles of accountability and transparency. By issuing orders whimsically and which were merely his “opinions” and by failing to recognize the right to freedom of expression and press freedom as a basic human right which should be protected, recognized and promoted in accordance with the provisions of the African Charter, the Minister acted unlawfully.
The Court in making the findings noted that, the provisions of Articles 6(2) and 7(d) as well as 8(1) the Treaty, are binding and not merely aspirational. The provisions are justiciable and create an obligation to every Partner State to respect those sacrosanct principles of good governance, and rule of law which include accountability, transparency and the promotion and protection of democracy. That these principles were violated in this case and further found that whereas the rights to press freedom, to received and impart information are not absolute, in the present case, the restrictions were unlawful, disproportionate and did not serve any legitimate or lawful purpose.
The Court having held that the Minister acted in breach of the Treaty, it ordered that an unlawful action must be followed by an order taking the parties to the state of affair that existed previously as of 9th August, 2016 by ordering the resumption of the publication of Mseto as prayed.
The Court finally emphasised that, according to Article 38(3) of the Treaty, the United Republic of Tanzania is expected to take measures without delay, to implement this Judgment within its internal legal mechanisms.
The Judgment was delivered by the following Honourable Judges: Lady Justice Monica Mugenyi (Principal Judge), Mr Justice Isaac Lenaola (Deputy Principal Judge), Justice Dr. Faustin Ntezilyayo, Mr Justice Fakihi A. Jundu and Mr Justice Audace Ngiye.
Note for editors:
Articles 6(d) provides on; Fundamental Principles of the Community
The fundamental principles that shall govern the achievement of the objectives of the Community by the Partner States shall include:
(d) good governance including adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, accountability, transparency, social justice, equal opportunities, gender equality, as well as the recognition, promotion and protection of human and peoples rights in accordance with the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights;
Article 7 : Operational Principles of the Community
2. The Partner States undertake to abide by the principles of good governance, including adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, social justice and the maintenance of universally accepted standards of human rights.
Article 8: General Undertaking as to Implementation
The Partner States shall: (c) abstain from any measures likely to jeopardise the achievement of those objectives or the implementation of the provisions of this Treaty.
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For more information, please contact:
Yufnalis Okubo Registrar East African Court of Justice Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 27 2162149 mail: Okubo [at] eachq.org www.eacj.org
About the East African Court of Justice:
The East African Court of Justice (EACJ or ‘the Court’), is one of the organs of the East African Community established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. Established in November 2001, the Court’s major responsibility is to ensure the adherence to law in the interpretation and application of and compliance with the EAC Treaty.
Arusha is the temporary seat of the Court until the Summit determines its permanent seat. The Court’s sub-registries are located in the respective National Courts in the Partner States.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 20th June, 2018: The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Republic of Uganda and the current Chair of the EAC Sectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, has called upon EAC Partner States to strengthen the linkages between Biennial Review (BR) process and the National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs).
In his remarks during the opening session of a High Level Forum on Inaugural Biennial Review Report of the Malabo Declaration and Recognition of the Best Youth Agripreneurs held on 16th June 2018 at the Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania, the Minister emphasized that NAIPs are the main vehicles for implementation of Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared prosperity and Improved Livelihoods adopted by African Union Heads of State in 2014.
Hon. Ssempijja appealed to Partner States to support implementation of NAIPs at a pace that is fast enough to bring about the desired change. The Minister further urged Partner States to fully embrace and institutionalize Joint Sector Review as a key mechanism for ensuring inclusive, efficient and effective delivery of the Malabo mutual accountability commitment. The Minister paid tribute to the Republic of Rwanda for emerging as the best performing country in implementing the seven (7) commitments under Malabo Declaration in the Inaugural Biennial Report presented to the AU General Assembly in January 2018.
The Minister acknowledged that promoting youth employment in agriculture is a top priority under Malabo Declaration Commitment 4 which focuses on halving poverty by the year 2025. The key targets under this include creating job opportunities for at least 30% of the youth in agricultural value chains and supporting and facilitating preferential entry and participation for women and youth in gainful and attractive agri-business opportunities.
Addressing the Forum, EAC Deputy Secretary General in-charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, urged Partner States to take the Biennial Review process as an important mutual accountability yard stick for tracking progress, informing and influencing evidence-based agricultural planning and investment decisions.
Dr Chimimba David Phiri, Sub-regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa (FAO-SFE) and FAO Representative to the African Union and UNECA, mentioned that the agricultural sector provides untapped potential to boost the creativity, energy, innovation and entrepreneurship of the youth, create decent employment opportunities and wealth, and curb youth distress migration. He reiterated that boosting youth employment in agricultural value chains is a low hanging fruit for harvesting sustainable development, food security, and rural poverty reduction.
The main focus of the Forum was to discuss EAC Partner States CAADP Biennial Report 2018 key findings and recommendations; to define priority actions towards operationalizing recommendations in the Biennial Report in order to improve EAC Partner States performance in reporting; and to recognize and award prizes to the Best Youth Agripreneurs in the EAC. A report on EAC-FAO project on promoting Youth Employment in the Agricultural Sector was presented. The climax of the Forum was award of financial grants and certificates to the 6 Best Youth agripreneurs in the EAC with outstanding models in agribusiness that have contributed to food and nutrition security, wealth creation and employment.
The Forum was jointly oraganized by the EAC Secretariat, African Union Commission and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the margins of the 11thSectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security. In attendance at the Forum were Permanent/Principal Secretaries responsible for agriculture from the Republic of Kenya, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Kenya, Directors from agriculture sector Ministries and institutions, the African Union Commission, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CAADP Focal points, Continental and Regional Stakeholders and Development Partners engaged in the CAADP process.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The East African Community has embraced the CAADP agenda and placed agriculture as the engine of social and economic growth in the integration process. The EAC commitment to domestication of the CAADP process is demonstrated by the adoption of the EAC CAADP compact as well as progress made in the development of the EAC Regional Agriculture Investment Plan. EAC CAADP instruments are aligned to the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation adopted by the African Heads of State in June 2014. Among other commitments, African Heads of State committed to Mutual Accountability to Results and Actionsby conducting a Biennial Agricultural Review process that involves tracking, monitoring and reporting on implementation progress in achieving provisions of Malabo Declaration. The Biennial Report is an innovative mechanism for capturing progress, achievements as well as challenges that need to be addressed to drive agricultural transformation towards realization of Malabo Declaration goals and targets.
Remarkable progress has been made in the implementation of the EAC-FAO project on “Promoting Youth Employment in Agriculture”. The process of documenting and validating Best youth agri-business models has been successfully undertaken in the EAC Partner States. Youth Champions in Agriculture who were identified during the aforementioned documentation exercise were facilitated to participate in a hands-on training at Songhai Center in Porto Novo, Benin from 2ndto 29th May, 2018. The final top 6 youth champions (one per Partner State) were awarded prizes during the High Level Forum.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Court of Justice Kigali, 20th June 2018: The Minister of Justice and Attorney General (AG) of the Republic of Rwanda who was the Chief Guest, represented by Mr Theophile Mbonea, Head of Legal services in the Office of the AG, congratulated the Court on realizing the objective of sensitizing the State Attorneys who are among the key litigants that appear before the EACJ to argue the cases filed against the government of Rwanda.
In his opening remarks he added that, it is therefore essential for the Court to have thought about this sensitization workshop and call upon all the participants to utilize this unique opportunity to share the knowledge and experience of the EACJ with their Lordships facilitating the workshop.
Hon Minister also commended the EACJ for the new developments of the Court such as e-filing system which will enhance access to court and its efficiency in delivering justice. “I am aware of the online case management system which has reduced costs for the litigants while filing and serving process to the court. The Attorney General’s Office embraces the use of advanced technology by the EACJ and will remain supportive to ensure the system is fully working where there is need” Said the Minister of Justice.
The Chief Guest further noted that establishment and the presence of the EACJ Sub-registries in all Partner States has brought services of the Court closer to the people of East Africa. That it is no longer just hearing about ‘‘The Arusha Court’’ as it was before, but Rwandans have started actually seeing the “East African Community Court” among them. He added that those who feel aggrieved by laws or decisions that seem to violate the East African Community Treaty and hence undermine the goals and objectives of integration, and who wish to have the matters determined by the EACJ and get a remedial decision of the Court.
The Minister also emphasized on the cooperation between the EACJ and the Office of the Attorney General, that it is not new and encouraged the Court to continue with the workshops, trainings to the State Attorneys, Judges and Members of the Bar Associations in the Partner States on the role, practice and procedure of the Court that are different from the national courts. That it will help them gain more experience with the practices of the regional court.
The Minister also pointed out the willingness of the government of Rwanda and anticipate its participation in the EACJ’s programs will significantly add to ideas that contribute to the harmonization of our laws and procedures towards a uniform dispensation of justice in the region and greater integration. He added that this is in line with the requirement in Article 126 of the Treaty which states that “In order to promote the achievement of the objectives of the Community set out in Article 5, the Partner States shall take steps to harmonize their legal training and certification and shall encourage the standardization of the judgments of courts within the Community”.
The Chief Guest concluded by encouraging the leadership of the Court to continue conducting and rotating such important sensitization workshops to all Partner states which will contribute to the visibility of the Court and participation of the Offices of the Attorneys General in the Partner States.
President of the East African Court of Justice, Hon Justice Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, on his part commended the support by the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General of Rwanda as one of the key litigant of the Court and pledged to continue working together in ensuring justice delivery to the people of East Africa and Rwandans in particular.
He encouraged the State Attorneys to use the knowledge gained from this workshop and expect to see the positive outcome when they come to Court.
The three-day workshop is being facilitated by the EACJ President, Justice Aaron Ringera, Deputy Registrar and Research officer and other staff of the Court.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Yufnalis Okubo Registrar East African Court of Justice Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 27 2162149 mail: Okubo [at] eachq.org www.eacj.org
About the East African Court of Justice:
The East African Court of Justice (EACJ or ‘the Court’), is one of the organs of the East African Community established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. Established in November 2001, the Court’s major responsibility is to ensure the adherence to law in the interpretation and application of and compliance with the EAC Treaty.
Arusha is the temporary seat of the Court until the Summit determines its permanent seat. The Court’s sub-registries are located in the respective National Courts in the Partner States.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 19th June, 2018: The East African Community Partner States are set to benefit from increased development assistance from the French Development Agency (AFD).
Also projected to benefit from French development aid is the EAC Secretariat with the focus being on climate change, clean energy and private sector development and investment promotion.
AFD Chief Executive Officer Remy Rioux disclosed that French development assistance had surpassed the 10 billion euros mark in 2017 and will double in 2020 because of President Emmanuel Macron’s commitment to the country’s development cooperation with the rest of the world.
Mr. Rioux said that AFD’s focus was on sharing French expertise and financing, adding that 50 per cent of the agency’s funding would go to Africa.
He reiterated that French development finance was biased towards mitigating the effects of climate change, adding that France had accumulated many years of experience in financing for the phenomenon.
He singled out the Paris Agreement saying it was a voluntary policy that revolves around priorities identified by benefiting countries and regional economic communities. The Paris Agreement deals with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020.
Mr. Rioux said that France was searching for more partnerships and projects noting that the bulk of the funding for climate change would go to non-sovereign actors namely the private sector, civil society and local authorities.
He said that the country supports regional integration the world over because of the country’s experience in Europe.
The AFD Chief Executive was speaking at the residence of the French Ambassador in Dar es Salaam during a meeting between the agency and an EAC Secretariat delegation led by the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote.
On his part, the Ambassador of France to Tanzania and the EAC, H.E. Frederic Clavier, expressed concern at the glaring gaps between the skills needs of the private sector and the calibre of graduates churned out by East African universities.
“There are basically no capacity links between the training offered by universities and the needs of companies. There is an urgent need to support vocational training in the region,” said Amb. Clavier.
Amb. Clavier said that solar power should be a development priority everywhere in the world due to its convenience and affordability.
In his remarks, Eng. Mlote said that the EAC had made significant strides in the integration process, adding that the Custom Union and Common Market were already in place with steady progress being made towards the attainment of a single currency by the year 2024.
Eng. Mlote further cited achievements in the transport sector including the harmonisation of axle-load limits, driving standards, road sizes and signs, and cargo clearance and tracking systems.
Noting that one of the reasons for the collapse of the first EAC was lack of stakeholder engagement, Eng. Mlote said that the private sector was now a key player in the EAC integration.
On climate change, Eng. Mlote said that the region faces cross border climate change challenges whose mitigation cannot be undertaken individually by the Partner States.
He said that water levels in Lake Victoria, a major source of water and fishing in the region, had been severely affected by destruction of forest ecosystems from which some of its major tributaries originate.
Eng. Mlote told the French delegation that the EAC already had in place a Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Master Plan all of which were aimed at supporting national initiatives in the Partner States.
The DSG disclosed that the Community had already applied for accreditation to the Green Climate Fund, a fund established within the framework of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
On clean energy, Eng. Mlote indicated that clean energy sources were a major priority for the Community since 80 per cent of households still depend on charcoal and firewood for cooking.
The DSG informed the French delegation that the EAC Summit had approved French as one of the official languages of the Community and urged France to support the promotion of the language within the region.
In addition to climate change, clean energy, and private sector development, the EAC delegation also proposed to the French for support industrial development and SMEs, tourism and wildlife management, research and policy analysis and ICT.
Among the officials accompanying the AFD CEO was Mr. Bruno Deprince, the Director of AFD's Nairobi Regional Office. On the EAC side were Ms. Beata Mukabaranga, the Principal Resource Mobilization Officer, and Ms. Suma Mwakyusa, the Principal International Relations Officer.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The French Development Agency (Agence francaise de development, AFD) is a public financial institution that works to fight poverty and promote sustainable development. AFD is active in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean and the French overseas territories where it finances and supports projects that improve living conditions for populations, promote economic growth and protect the planet.
AFD has its headquarters in Paris with teams based in Paris, Marseilles and in a network of 72 agencies and representations abroad and in the French overseas territories.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Court of Justice Arusha, 19th June 2018: The President of the East African Court of Justice, Hon Justice Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, while at the opening of a three days sensitization workshop for the Judges, State Attorneys and Members of the Bar Association of the Republic of Uganda on the role of the Court in the advancement of the East African Community Integration agenda, called upon the participants to strengthen their cooperation and relationship with the Court.
His Lordship told the participants that, the future and effectiveness of the Court will largely depend on its relationship with other stakeholders. “Your role as Judges, State Attorneys and Advocates is very crucial in the development of the EAC laws, jurisprudence and uniform interpretation and application of the EAC law.” Said the President of the Court. He further added that, it is only jointly that the partners in the rule of law chain can develop the potential of East African integration and reap the benefits it offers.
Justice Ugirashebuja in his remarks further said that, East African integration is of utmost importance to all the Partner States in the region, economically, politically and socially and that through integration and the development of an internal market, economic growth is inevitably stimulated. However, he added that the path to a high level of political, socio-economic, cultural and financial integration is sometimes fraught with uncertainties, and is at times long and bumpy. Most of these challenges are legal.
The President also said that, as regional integration experience has shown, law plays an absolutely vital role in integration. It is law that provides the legal backbone of Regional integration. It is law that provides the concrete rights and benefits of regional integration to businesses and individuals. It is law that allows for the free and efficient movement within the internal market. And it is also within the legal framework that the political actors meet and interact. Justice Ugirashebuja stressed that because of the importance of law, regional integration requires good cooperation between all the partners in the rule of law chain: judges, lawyers, civil servants, academics, businesses and individuals. “We all must contribute to make the EAC a living legal reality.” He stated
His Lordship emphasized on the role of the court, which is crucial in resolving disputes which would otherwise threaten the survival of a Community. That the existence of dispute is real and to an extent an important ingredient of any development as a Community. He also said that the absence of dispute should not be the focus of the evolution of the EAC, but the focus should be on how we resolve the disputes. Justice Ugirashebuja further added that without an effective dispute resolution mechanism, the survival of the Community is at stake and that without its case law, and many principles that the Court has developed and will continue to develop, the Community will certainly not be where it is today and will not arrive at where it aims to be.
The Executive Director of the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) Hon Justice Henry Peter Adonyo, who was also in attendance, commended the EACJ President, “We at the Judicial Training Institute thank the EACJ for choosing to bring to the Institute this important exercise which could have very well been held elsewhere. We appreciate and thank you for your confidence in the Institute and we hope that we are not a disappointment to you.”
Justice Adonyo also noted that the sensitization workshop will equip you the participants with relevant knowledge about the EACJ and the EAC at large so that at the end of the day you have adequate knowledge and become familiar with the institutional arrangements of the East African Community and more especially the East African Court of Justice and thus reflect on how each and every one of us can contribute to its effectiveness.
The workshop was also attended by the Hon Lady Justice Jane Kiggundu representing the Principal Judge of the High Court of Uganda, the representative of the Attorney General of the Republic of Uganda, Mr J.B.R Suuza, President of the Uganda Law Society, Mr Simon Peter M. Kibone among others.
During the workshop, there were a number of paper presentations made on the role of the judiciaries in East Africa in the integration process and the relationship of EACJ with National Courts, a paper which was presented by the President of the Court (EACJ), Hon Justice Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, a paper on the legal and Judicial framework of EAC and EACJ that was presented by the Hon Justice Dr Charles Oyo Nyawello, the Jurisprudence of the Appellate Division done by Justice Geoffrey Mupere Kiryabwire of the EACJ Appellate Division as well as Justice of the Court of Appeal of Uganda. Justice Kiryabwire also delivered a paper on the role of ICT in efficiency administration of Justice at the EACJ. Lastly there was a paper on the jurisprudence of the EACJ First Instance Division and judicial responsibilities by the Deputy Registrar Her Worship Ms Geraldine Umugwaneza and the Research Officer of the Court Ms Wanjiru Kathleen Rubia.
The Court has held the same sensitizations in some of the Partner States like the Republic of South Sudan, Burundi, now Uganda and next week will proceed to Rwanda and then later in Dar Es Salaam and Nairobi Kenya.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Yufnalis Okubo Registrar East African Court of Justice Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 27 2162149 mail: Okubo [at] eachq.org www.eacj.org
About the East African Court of Justice:
The East African Court of Justice (EACJ or ‘the Court’), is one of the organs of the East African Community established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. Established in November 2001, the Court’s major responsibility is to ensure the adherence to law in the interpretation and application of and compliance with the EAC Treaty.
Arusha is the temporary seat of the Court until the Summit determines its permanent seat. The Court’s sub-registries are located in the respective National Courts in the Partner States.
