October 6th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – The East African Community (EAC) will – in November – decide on the membership of South Sudan in the regional body, the Council of Ministers has said.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation haven’t paid its membership fees since joining the regional body in April 2016, a year after sliding into a civil war which has since killed thousands and uprooted millions form their homes.
A coalition of East African civil society organization asked in September the regional body to revoke South Sudan’s membership for failing to pay membership fees since joining the body.
Adan Mohamed, the acting chairman of the EAC Council of Ministers and Kenya’s cabinet secretary for EAC and Regional Development, said the Council will meet next month to deliberate on delayed contributions from all partner states.
Mr Mohamed was responding to members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) who were debating a petition by a regional activists’ forum to the House to ask the Council to recommend to the Heads of State Summit to invoke Articles 143 and 146 of the EAC Treaty.
“The decision to apply sanctions or Article 143 says a partner state, which defaults in meeting its financial and other obligations, shall be subject to sanctions which the Council of Ministers will recommend to the summit,” Mr. Mohamed said.
If suspended, South Sudan will cease to enjoy benefits provided for under the treaty but shall continue to be bound by membership obligations until the suspension is lifted, according to Article 146(2) of the East African Treaty.
