South Sudan’s President Assumes Leadership of East African Community Bloc

Addressing members at the 23rd Summit of EAC Heads of State in Arusha, Tanzania, Kiir, who will lead the body for one year, urged leaders of the regional bloc to collaborate in addressing challenges faced by the region.

He expressed confidence in the East African Community's ability to tackle shared challenges, emphasizing South Sudan's belief in the community since the country’s entry in 2016.

Beny Gideon, the undersecretary in South Sudan's Ministry of East Africa Community Affairs, said leading the regional bloc would provide Kiir with leverage to address issues with both the EAC and the African Union.

Lawmaker Kim Gai, who represents South Sudan in the East African Legislative Assembly, EALA, told VOA Kiir assuming the EAC chair role is a positive image for the East African nation.

"President Kiir will be chairing the EAC summit for the next one year, and this will enable him to lead initiatives to end the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo," Gai said.

Addressing regional peace and security challenges

Kiir assumes leadership during a challenging time for the region with conflicts in Sudan and the eastern part of the DRC. South Sudan has deployed troops as part of the East African Community Regional Force, EACRF, to aid in restoring peace in the region.

The South Sudanese leader called on member states to support the EAC-led Nairobi process aimed at restoring peace in the eastern DRC, adding that inter-Congolese dialogue could bring peace.

South Sudan has faced challenges in meeting its annual contributions to the EAC in the past, but Kiir assured the regional bloc of timely remittance by his country moving forward.

The regional body also admitted Somalia into the group, making it the EAC's eighth member, alongside Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.