A high-level delegation from the East African Community has arrived in South Sudan's capital, Juba, to initiate national consultations on the country's political transition and a proposed EAC Political Confederation. Led by EAC Secretary-General Ambassador Stephen Patrick Mbundi and senior constitutional expert Amos Wako, the delegation aims to gather views on key political and constitutional issues.
The consultations, according to Kawaja Kau Madol, undersecretary in South Sudan's Ministry of East African Community Affairs, will begin with the central government before expanding to the states. This process is expected to involve representatives of the government, political parties, civil society, academia, community leaders, and youth organisations.
The exercise is set to begin with consultations involving the president's office and caretaker cabinet before expanding to other groups, including political parties, civil society organisations, religious bodies, youth groups, and academic institutions. Government officials have urged South Sudanese citizens and other stakeholders to participate in the consultations, emphasising that their views should help shape the proposed regional arrangement.
The consultations will cover a range of issues, including constitutional arrangements, funding mechanisms, governance structures, decision-making processes, and models of regional integration. These discussions will later be held in several states, including Central Equatoria, Lakes, Upper Nile, and Jonglei.
The East African Community comprises eight member states: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. The bloc promotes regional integration and adopted a Political Confederation in 2017 as a transitional model towards an East African Political Federation.
The EAC Political Confederation aims to enhance cooperation among member states, promoting economic, social, and political integration. The consultations in South Sudan are a crucial step towards achieving this goal, as the country navigates its ongoing political transition.
The success of these consultations will depend on the active participation of various stakeholders, including young people, who have been urged to contribute their views. The outcome of these discussions will help shape South Sudan's engagement with the proposed EAC Political Confederation and inform the country's future regional integration efforts.
Key points
- The EAC delegation's consultations in South Sudan will focus on constitutional arrangements, funding mechanisms, and governance structures.
- The East African Community adopted a Political Confederation in 2017 as a transitional model towards an East African Political Federation.
- The consultations will involve representatives of the government, political parties, civil society, academia, community leaders, and youth organisations.
