Burundi and TZ never excluded in EAC – Min Muhongayire

Minister Muhongayire affirms that  Burundi and Tanzania are part and parcel  of the EAC even if Rwanda,Uganda and Kenya develop specific projects that are meant to benefit to the whole Community.

She said initiation of specific projects between some countries is agreed upon on the Charter that regulates the EAC.

The Community has been created to foster economic development of all state  members that are Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya,Tanzania and Uganda.

However Burundi and Tanzania accuse  Rwanda,Kenya and Uganda to develop economic projects that are meant to exclude them from the bloc.

These projects include the construction of a railway joining these countries, a project of one ID electronic card, a single customer union, among others.

For Minister Muhingayire, this does not create a problem as the Charter stipulates that three nations can initiate projects that can benefit to the region if the remaining ones are not ready enough to participate.

Minister Muhongayire gave an example of a single ID whereby TZ has said that it is not ready to get involved.

She gave an example of the European Union where some nations developed projects while others assess how to join them afterwards.

It cannot  harm the integration as whole because integration requires procedural activities, she underlined.

The E.U is now among the most influential  actors at the international scene due to the intergration. Even though, the UK did not join the use of the Euro,  it did not affect the economy of the UK.All depended on the agreement between state members concerning monetary policies, she adds.

Both Tanzania and Burundi accuse Rwanda,Uganda and Kenya to hinder them from being involved into the common economic activities of the Community.

To the other side, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya affirm that the projects they develop are constitutionally recognized and they wait for the rest of the EAC state members to join as soon as they get ready.

BIRORI Eric 

UM– USEKE.RW