East Africa: Tanzanian, Ugandan Heads of State to Discuss EU Economic Partnership Agreement

East Africa: Tanzanian, Ugandan Heads of State to Discuss EU Economic Partnership Agreement

Posted on :Monday , 6th February 2017

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni and Tanzania's President Dr. John Magufuli will meet February to agree on East Africa's way forward on the controversial Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The EPA is supposed to be negotiated between the EU and member states of the East African Community (EAC).

 
Kenya and Rwanda have already signed the deal but it won't be operational until all the East African Community member states sign the agreement, which is protested by Tanzania.
 
Museveni said the EAC leaders need to discuss the issue, point on point because scattering it without discussion would be a mistake. "EPA is also about East Africans. If we scatter it without discussions, it would be a mistake. Am more worried about the unity of East Africa," he said in Addis Ababa.
 
EAC Heads of State led by their chairman Magufuli had agreed in September to push to later the bloc's commitment on the deal to allow more deliberations and negotiations on the matter.
 
The Tanzanian parliament already voted against signing of the EPA negotiated between the EU and member states of the East African Community.
 
The two leaders also discussed the situation in Burundi and agreed to meet and to harmonise on how to handle the situation. Museveni is mediator in the Burundi peace process while former Tanzania President Benjamin Mkapa is facilitator.
 
President Museveni meets leaders of Sudan, CAR, Zambia and Namibia
 
President Yoweri Museveni, in his new role of First Vice-Chairperson of the African Union, has met a series of African leaders including President Omar Al Bashir of Sudan, President Edgar Lungu of Zambia, President of the Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadéraat and the President of Namibia Hage Geingob at the side-lines of the 28th Ordinary AU Summit of the Heads of State and Governments at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.
 
The leaders discussed issues aimed at boosting relations between their countries especially peace, security, trade and development.
 
Earlier, Museveni had held meetings with the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and later with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe, President Uhuru Kenya of Kenya, President John Pombe Magufuli of the Democratic Republic of Tanzania and President of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
 
The newly elected bureau of the African Union as announced by the Dean of the African Diplomatic
 
Corps comprises of Chairperson: H.E Mr. Alpha Conde.
President of the Republic of Guinea, First Vice-Chairperson: Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda
Second Vice-Chairperson: Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Third Vice- Chairperson: His Majesty King MSWATI III, of the Kinfdom of Swaziland
Rapporteur: Idriss Deby Itno, President of the Republic of Chad.
President Museveni to PAP Members of Parliament - Pursue common interests for the continent
 
President Museveni has urged members of the Pan African Parliament to pursue common interests for the continent including legislating on issues such as environmental protection and climate change, trade and investment, terrorism and security, infrastructure that cut across countries.
 
"Even if there is no one government spearheading this, these are areas of common interest that nobody is addressing. There is no political body following these up," he said.
 
Museveni was meeting Uganda's members of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) at the side-line's of the 28th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of States and Government at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.
 
The PAP members included Jacqueline Amongin (NRM, Ngora), also the Leader of the PAP delegation; Prof. Ogenga Latigo (FDC, Agago North); Anifa Bangirana Kawooya (NRM, Sembabule); Felix Okot Ogong (NRM, Dokolo South) and Babirye Kadogo (Independent Buyende).
 
The PAP members of parliament briefed the President about the current status of business and the need to discuss the ratification of the Malabo protocol, a new structure of parliament that stipulates that members once elected to PAP relinquish their seats at the national parliament.
 
The members also sought from the president, government's agenda at PAP and what their role can be beyond being members of parliament.
 
They also protested the laxity by the South African government security that they faced when two of their delegations (Uganda and Senegal) where attacked in South Africa.
 
The PAP members of parliament called on President Museveni to tackle the issue of Uganda's imagine abroad in terms of investment and tourism potential. They argued that despite having some of the best programmes on the continent, Uganda is always knocked out by Rwanda and Tanzania.
 
Museveni has called a meeting of various sector ministries and stakeholders to meeting with PAP members to forge a way forward for Uganda's more effective representation in the regional body.

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