Barely three days after gaining independence, the Republic of South Sudan is gearing to join the East African Community. President Salva Kiir Mayardit has hinted South Sudan is ready to join the EAC and hopes the country will speedily be considered for membership in to the economic bloc to enable it begin to reap from the benefits of regional integration.
President Salva Kiir was speaking when he received the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), the Rt. Hon Abdirahin H. Abdi in State House, Juba, South Sudan yesterday.
H.E. General Salva Kiir hailed the EAC for supporting South Sudan and the Sudan during the period of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
“I note with gratification EALA’s efforts in ensuring peace in South Sudan prevailed. I am happy they were part of the struggle. The Assembly visited South Sudan to assess the state of preparedness during the period leading to the referendum and again at the referendum proper to observe the actual process. I thank the Rt. Hon. Speaker and EALA for this”, President Kiir added.
President Kiir stated that the Parliament of South Sudan stood to immensely benefit from the enriching experience of EALA.
The Rt. Hon. Abdirahin Abdi congratulated H.E. General Salva Kiir following his swearing in as the Head of State of South Sudan, adding that citizens of South Sudan had bestowed on him confidence to lead the new republic to greater heights. The Rt. Hon. Speaker commended the citizens of South Sudan and urged them to unite and re-double their efforts in building the new nation. He said the EAC was committed to ensuring peace generally prevails in Sudan as a whole and added that the envisaged entry of South Sudan in to the EAC would strengthen the economic bloc further.
“The Republic of South Sudan provides a wide range of opportunities for investment and trade. Let me hasten to say that we shall welcome the entry of South Sudan in to the regional bloc with open arms once ready”, Rt. Hon. Abdi noted.
The EALA Speaker was accompanied by EALA Members, Hon. Abdul Karim Harelimana and Hon Maj (Rtd) Mugisha Muntu,
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For more Information, contact: Bobi Odiko, Senior Public Relations Officer; East African Legislative Assembly; Tel: +255-27-2508240 Cell: +255 787 870945, +254-733-718036; Email: bodiko@eachq.org Web: https://www.eala.org Arusha, Tanzania
