Rwanda, Burundi to Join East Africa Community

By Eddyson Lugangwa Posted 18 October 2006 @ 09:51 am EET     Print     Reprint     E-Mail     Comments

Nairobi (IBTimes.com) - Rwanda and Burundi are set to join the East African Community next month. Early this week, the two countries concluded signing agreements accepting all conditions, including joining the two-year-old East Africa Customs Union.

The agreement was signed by East Africa Community permanent secretaries led by Kenya's Foreign Affairs PS Peter Nkuraiyia.

The official pronouncement will be made at the specially convened meeting of the East Africa ministers responsible for the regional integration in Arusha mid next month, according to EAC secretary general Juma Mwapachu.

The ministers' recommendation will be presented at the EAC Summit, the final ruling body, scheduled for November 30 in Dar es Salaam. Mr Mwapachu said after the two countries' accession, the region's base for investments and trade would be widened, making it attractive for development.

The bloc will have a total population of about 110 million with massive opportunities in agriculture, tourism and mining.

During the negotiations, the two countries wanted to delay joining the EA Customs Union by about three years, which was rejected by the negotiators.

After high-level consultations with their capitals, they accept to join not only the Customs Union, but also the envisaged East Africa Common Market planned for 2008, which is the second stage of the regional integration.

The Common Market will allow free movement of people, labour and capital. Both countries have agreed on the third EAC Development Strategy (2006-2010), investment incentives and joint marketing.

Under the agreements, the two countries also endorsed the three band Common External Tariff (0, 10, and 25 per cent) and the gradual elimination of the all internal tariffs by 2010 as agreed by the founding partners; Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

The meeting was informed that Burundi has free trade arrangements with Kenya, but has preferential tariff treatment at 80 per cent reduction with Uganda in accordance with Comesa rules. Goods from Tanzania attract duty rate in accordance with the Burundi Tariff Act.

The Burundian delegation, however, promised to phase out internal tariffs once formally admitted to the bloc. The two countries, which have experienced many years of civil war, have agreed to conform with the EAC strategy on cross-border crime, refugees, interstate defence and security and prevention and control of small arms and light weapons.

They have signed on to the EAC's position on combating terrorism, inter-parliamentary mode and fora for joint co-operation, including the envisaged political federation, the ultimate objective of the regional bloc.

Rwanda and Burundi's entries follow fact-finding visits by the EAC's special verification committee to Kigali and Bujumbura recently. Rwanda had applied in 1996 to join the EAC and Burundi in 1998.

However, the applications were deferred because the three founding partners were yet to establish the Customs Union, which came into force on January 1, 2005.

After the admission, Burundi and Rwanda will be allowed to use the East African passports.