South Sudan’s bid to join the bloc will feature prominently at this year’s final EAC Council of Ministers meeting that kicks of in Nairobi from November 19 – 24.

The decision the Council of Ministers make will then be presented to the Heads of State Summit on November 28.

During their last extraordinary summit held in Tanzania in April, the heads of state directed the Council of Ministers to come up with a verification report by November, regarding South Sudan’s request to join the regional bloc.

The presidents had expressed concern about the then conflict between the newly independent South Sudan and Sudan, and urged leaders of the two countries to return to the negotiating table for a peaceful resolution.

Tanzania is expected to give its final decision on the admissibility of South Sudan to the community following its request in the last Council of Minister’s meeting held in Bujumbura in August, that it needed more time for consultation.

Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Kenya gave their consent based on the EAC Verification Committee Report presented to them earlier.
Among the issues that guided their decision are that South Sudan had established mechanisms for ratification and access to international treaties, the country had acceded to UN and AU charters, it had also has been admitted to several regional and international organisations such as Igad, Nile Basin Initiative and Unesco.

The heads of states will also be required to make a decision on the jurisdiction of the EA Court of Justice to cover, among others, crimes against humanity.

The EACJ’s extension of jurisdiction came up following pressure piled on Kenya early in the year not to allow four of its citizens facing charges for crimes against humanity to be tried before the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

The heads of states then ordered that the treaty establishing the EACJ be amended and that the EAC Council of Ministers consider the matter and present the report at the Summit.

They will also be required to make a final ruling on a proposals to set up a single customs territory in the region, a common external tariff structure and rules of origin in the community.