By ELSIE EYAKUZE

More by this Author

“The Political Federation is the ultimate goal of the East African Community regional integration, the fourth step after the Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union.”

Right.

So, it is 2021 and about a week since the last Ordinary East African Community’s Heads of States Summit. The meeting was held as a video conference with attendees calling in from their respective offices. I approve of this heartily, physical meetings of heads of state are a pain in the traffic jam for hosting cities and you can’t tell me otherwise.

In the 21st century, the pomp and circumstance of official visits has completely lost its sheen. Familiarity has bred contempt. Many of us don’t even like our presidents outside of the obligatory observance of some form of respect for leadership. I approve of this heartily.

Anyway, so the presidents all met online, and within about 48 hours they had released a five-page communique summarising the proceedings.

On a professional note and for personal reasons I just want to say to the team that put together the communique: nice. On a public note, I want to clarify that when I say that the summit team released the five-page communique it is unclear to me how this was done, all I know is that it ended up on the “forwarded many times” end of social media platforms and is widely available to the public. Also nice because transparency is everything.

There’s a fair chunk of the report that is not of particular interest to us average proletarians: a number of appointments to various bodies whose jurisdictions and duties we don’t actually understand. Some follow ups on things that were supposed to be done and haven’t been, things that are being done, admin and any other business — you know the drill.

There was also some very cool news embedded in the middle of the report. For one, it appears that in a nod to the range of societies represented, French has been proposed for inclusion as a language in the East African Community, with the view of making it an official language along with English and Kiswahili.

If you know anything at all about the politics of language in pan-African discourse, and follow the local debates in East Africa about decolonising languages, this piece of news should be absolutely delectable to you.

I have prepared a basketful of roasted cashewnuts and I am ready to watch the drama unfold for decades. My bet is on Tanzania raising the biggest fuss. Let’s make this even more fun: South Sudan is a member state and Arabic is an official language that, like French, has considerable continental reach, so why haven’t we adopted Arabic as well? Let the meltdowns begin.

The adoption of French can be seen in context when you learn that the EAC is considering an application by the Democratic Republic of Congo to become a member state. I don’t know how that would work. Would the DRC join the EAC or would the EAC simply be absorbed into the DRC like a cat inhaling a mouse? I mean, the DRC is… it is the DRC. I have so many questions here. But at least now we know what is down the pipeline. Also, there is a paragraph about Somalia, so put a pin in that.

And so our dysfunctional family grows. How…heartwarming? I looked at this communique and as a staunch opponent of even trying to federate or even “confederate” anytime soon I had to admit that the sheer optimism of it touched me. I mean, the whole project is pretty mad and far removed from the woman on the ground in all of the countries named, but here we are filled with hope that we can do it. I am a sucker for lost causes.

Why so cynical, you ask? Pretty simple, actually. Every single one of the countries trying to make the East African Community work right now is in some level of deep crisis, political or economic and often both. Also, we’re not getting along as well as we should. There is nothing critical, really, except that we’re just… I don’t know. The chemistry isn’t quite coming together, is it?

Okay, I am being disingenuous. I saved the best for last. At the bottom of the communique you will notice that there is room left for the participants of the summit to sign the document. His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and chairman of the summit; His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya; His Excellency Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi; His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan; His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda.

Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Hm.

Let me end with another quote: “It is worth noting that attainment of the Political Federation is a process and not an event. On 20th May, 2017, the EAC Heads of State adopted the Political Confederation as a transitional model of the East African Political Federation.”

And that is the state of our union, folks. Remember to love your neighbours, wear that mask, learn a new language if you can and don’t sweat the small stuff because we’re nowhere near the promised land. Rock on.

Elsie Eyakuze is a consultant and blogger for The Mikocheni Report: E-mail: [email protected]