Challenges awaiting Ruto as he assumes EAC chair

DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, who was expected to take over from President Kiir, did not attend the summit. That they turned to Ruto was also some sort of compromise. Sources indicated that President Samia passed up the baton, citing some other commitments this season while Somalia wasn’t really ready to chair the EAC yet, having been admitted in November last year.

Somalia’s role

Somalia’s President Sheikh Hassan Mohamud will now be the rapporteur for the next one year with the possibility of assuming the chairperson position next year after President Ruto. Mr Ruto takes over when the EAC is more divided, 25 years after it was re-established. The original EAC collapsed in 1977 following ideological differences between leaders of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda at the time. His in-tray is already full as he assumes office in an economic regional bloc that is in need of peace, reduction of non-tariff barriers, to facete free movement of goods and people in order to increase intra-trade that is currently stuck at 14 percent for the past three years.

Ahead of the summit, tension between Rwanda and the DRC okayed out. The two had been accusing each other of backing rebels targeting their administrations. It is the reason Angola has been mediating their tiff, thought to fuel the war in eastern DRC. They recently formed a mechanism to monitor violations of an agreed ceasefire.

Mr Ruto himself ran into controversy in the DRC, after he hosted some rebels calling themselves Congo River Alliance with ambition to topple the government in Kinshasa. A military court sentenced them to death in absentia, but Kenya refused to deport the rebels. Kinshasa has refused to accredit Kenya’s ambassador a year later. But within the EAC, Mr Ruto’s opportunity comes at a time when borders have been closed between Rwanda and Burundi, Rwanda and DRC, Uganda and DRC and a simmering tension in the horn of Africa, where Somalia is in a tiff with Ethiopia, an expected future member of the EAC. In his opening remarks, President Ruto requested the EAC heads of State to remit their contributions to the EAC to enable it to accomplish its agenda, a call supported by President Kagame.

“Allow me to express my gratitude for nominating me as the next chairperson for the next one year. I want to thank President Kiir, the outgoing chairperson for his excellent role for the past one year,” he said. “During my tenure, I will work towards improving the quality of life of the people of East Africa through increased competitiveness, value-added production, trade and investments,” he added. Turning to the poor state of the EAC secretariat coffers, President Ruto urged his counterparts to prioritise the regional bloc by remitting their contributions on time. “To spur economic development in the region, we will continue to strengthen regional peace, security, political accountability, and good governance,” he said. “To ensure successful implementation of the Community’s projects and programmes, I urge partner states governments to uphold their commitment to the timely disbursement of statutory contributions and fast-track implementation of the sustainable financing mechanism.” He requested the EAC secretariat to engage with the European Union to ensure the region takes advantage of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that was signed between Kenya and the EU on December 18, 2023, and came into effect in July.

Kagame’s appeal

President Kagame supported President Ruto’s calls that EAC partner states remit their budgetary contributions, proposing sanctions to partner states who do not. Currently, Burundi, South Sudan and DRC are still in arrears during the 2024/25 financial year.

“We need strict compliance measures because the current situation is neither acceptable nor sustainable. The mechanisms put in place by the African Union for example have led to better performance of members,” said Mr Kagame, asking the EAC to adopt similar procedures.

President Museveni said the EAC region has been trading for more than 1,000 years ago and called for the removal of trade barriers among the EAC partner states.

Some of the resolutions from summit

1. The summit received the progress report of the Council of Ministers for the period 25th November 2023 to 29th November, 2024. The Summit commended the Council for the progress made in implementing the programmes and projects of the community, and:

A) Directed Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia to conclude national consultations on the EAC Political Confederation Constitution By 30th June, 2025;

B) Directed the Council to make recommendations on the use of variable geometry in the political integration of the community for consideration by the 25th Ordinary Summit.

C)Took note of the progress report on the EAC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement and directed the council to report progress to the 25th meeting of the summit. 

2. The summit received the report of the retreat of ministers responsible for Foreign Affairs and EAC Affairs and directed the council to:

(A) Work with the partner states to develop regional guidelines for multi-dimensional peace support operations to guide future regional peace support operations;

(B) Expedite the conclusion of the EAC Mutual Defence Pact to facilitate peace support operations undertaken by the Community; and

(C) Expedite the implementation of the EAC Counter Terrorism Strategy and report progress to the 25th meeting of the summit. 3. The Summit noted the deteriorating situation in Eastern DRC and called for the cessation of hostilities. Due to the complexities of the parallel processes, the summit called for a coordinated approach and a consolidation of the various initiatives, specically, the Luanda Process and the EACled Nairobi Process to be merged into one and managed jointly. The Summit underscored the need for a joint meeting between the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC) to discuss the modalities in consideration of the widespread impact of the situation in DRC on the East African Community. The EAC Secretariat was directed to follow up the process for implementation no later than 30th April 2025.

4. The Summit approved and signed the Instrument of Adoption of amendments to Article 137 of the Treaty for the establishment of the East African Community (Treaty) To incorporate French and Kiswahili as official languages of the organs and institutions of the community in addition to English, and Article 132 (4) of the treaty to reflect and facilitate the implementation of the financing formula agby the summit.

5. The Summit directed the council to consider modalities of partner states paying their contributions in local currency taking into account the provisions of article 132(6) of the treaty. 

6. The Summit approved and signed annex vii to the protocol on the establishment of the East African Common Market on mutual recognition of academic and professional qualification regulations. 

7. The summit assented to:

(A) The East African Community Customs Management (Amendment) Bill, 2022;

(B) The East African Community Appropriation Bill, 2023;

(C) The East African Community Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2023; And

(D) The East African Community Supplementary Appropriation

(No.2) Bill, 2023.

8. The Summit designated Hon. Justice Richard Wejuli Wabwire from Uganda as Deputy Principal Judge of the East African Court Of Justice with effect from 30th November, 2024.

(A) Directed the council to prioritise elimination of barriers to trade, removal of restrictions on movement of persons and services to foster trade integration; adopt inclusive digital policies and payment solutions to enhance trade; security, youth and women empowerment in production and cross-border trade; and

(B) Directed the council to convene a dedicated meeting with EAC organs and institutions, partner states, private sector of partner states and their governing bodies/associations to discuss this matter and generate a joint action plan by April, 2025.

9. The summit decided that Kenya would be the chairperson of the community, while Somalia will be the Rapporteur For The Year 2024/25.