The East African Community is bracing for a high-stakes November summit to resolve the mistrust between the partner states, triggered by the recent trilateral treaties that seemingly isolated Tanzania.

Wherein the EAC Council of Ministers convenes in the last week of November, all eyes will be on its chairperson, Shem Bageine, who is to respond to furious claims of Tanzania’s and Burundi’s isolation by Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya.

The just ended 27th Council of Ministers meeting in Arusha — where the isolation issue was part of the agenda — directed Mr Bageine to prepare a detailed report on the growing alliance of Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya.

The EAC has been left facing a test of unity and an identity crisis after regional leaders from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda pushed ahead with deeper integration without the input of Tanzania — a founder and key member state.

READ: Test of unity for EAC as Tanzania is isolated

The main agenda of the Mombasa meeting of Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda) and Paul Kagame (Rwanda), a fortnight ago, was cross-border infrastructure projects.  However the decision to fast track the East African political federation in the absence of Tanzania raised fears that a “coalition of the willing” is emerging.

Analysts said that Mr Bageine faces the tough task of coming up with a report that will satisfy Tanzania and Burundi while taking into consideration the interests of Kenya, Uganda and Burundi.

Apparently, Tanzania and Burundi have forged a united front to face Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya over their recent trilateral agreements.

Tanzania, Burundi furious

Although public officials maintain that the trilateral treaties are beneficial to EAC integration, they are worried about the turn of events, while Tanzania and Burundi remain furious over the development.

New details indicate that Tanzania and Burundi have made it clear that the trilateral works by Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda carry with them the seeds of destruction of the bloc’s integration agenda.

Dar and Bujumbura are unhappy with Nairobi, Kampala, and Kigali for sidelining them on infrastructure, Single Customs Territory and the political federation.

The EAC Council of Ministers’ report released last week shows that the two partner states wanted to know the implication of the move and whether they were now excluded from the activities of the Community.

Tanzania, specifically, asked for an explanation of the implication of some of the decisions made and ongoing activities including negotiations on the Single Customs Territory and the Summit’s decision on the way forward for political federation.

“Tanzania and Burundi were of the view that these developments do not augur well for the spirit of co-operation and forging ahead together,” reads the EAC report. At the just ended EAC Council of Ministers meeting in Arusha, the Secretariat distanced itself, saying it has not been involved in the ongoing trilateral initiatives.

However, EAC Secretary General Richard Sezibera defended the ongoing trilateral discussions, arguing that they were geared towards advancing the implementations of decisions and projects that have already been agreed upon by the community.

Ministers from Tanzania and Burundi, however, did not accept Mr Sezibera’s statement, prompting the chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, Mr Bageine, to intervene.

“The trilateral initiatives will not isolate any country from the activities of the Community” said Mr Bageine.

The East African Law Society, in a letter dated September 5 and signed by its president James Mwamu, called on Dr Sezibera and the chair of the EAC Heads of State Summit President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, to co-opt Tanzania and Burundi into the renewed efforts aimed at improving the infrastructure within the EAC, which has Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya at the reins.

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Tanzanian officials have repeatedly said that they have no objection to other EAC member states holding bilateral discussions as long as they do not make decisions that are binding on the whole Community.