Tanzania Information Services Department

Dar Es Salaam,Tanzania

President John Pombe Magufuli has handed over Chairmanship of East African Community to Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and urged members states facing internal conflicts to intensify efforts to resolve them for the interest of their countries and the region.

Speaking at the end of the 18th EAC ordinary Summit held in Dar Es Salaam on Saturday 20 May, 2017, President Magufuli told the summit that, during his tenure of office as chairperson of the regional body, he was encouraged by the progress made in mediating political conflicts in Burundi and South Sudan and managed to minimize tension between the rival parties. “I wish to express my appreciation to the mediator of inter-Burundi dialogue President Museveni and the facilitator- the retired President of Tanzania Benjamin Mkapa for his commitment to the dialoque as well as for the positive results so far achieved” President Magufuli said. Reviewing the two years of his chairmanship, President Magufuli noted that the region has registered a number of achievements and citing infrastructural sector where many road projects were implemented and others were still in preparatory stages. “During my term of office, we have managed to oversee implementation of some issues pertaining to the establishment of common market and on monetary union,we have managed to prepare two bills which are ready for submission to the EAC legislature” He elaborated. President Magufuli told heads of state attended the Summit that he was happy to see member states have made remarkable steps towards strengthening democracy and good governance as well as relations between the regional body and development partners have been consolidated. The outgoing chairperson of EAC summit, however admitted that he faced many challenges during his period of his chairmanship and mentioned Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) stalemate due to divided views among member states. Meanwhile, the new chairman of the East African Community President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has reminded his fellows East Afican leaders that prosperity, brotherhood and security were fundamentals of the regional integration. He therefore underscored the importance of integration and called for increasing inter-trade between member countries for the benefit of the whole region. “when we talk about EAC, we are talking about our development, about our welfare, our families, our countries and indeed our market area hence  we need to do more for the development of our region” President Museveni insisted. On EPA, President Museveni, whose country together with Tanzania are opposing the agreement demading clarifications on a number of issues,vowed to take the matter to EU headquaters for further consultations. The heads of state during the 18th Ordinary East African Summit witnessed the swearing-in of Justice Charles Oyo Nyawello from South Sudan as judge to the first instance division of the East African Court of Justice and New EAC Deputy Secretary General from Tanzania Engineer Steven Malekela Mlote. Heads of state who attended the 18th EAC summit were President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, President Dr. John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania, deputy President William Ruto of Kenya, First Vice President Gaston Sindimwo of Burundi, Francois Kanimba, Minister of Trade, Industry and East African Community affairs representing President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan was represented by his economic adviser Mr. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni.