KAMPALA — The 21st East African Community (EAC) Heads of State Summit, which was scheduled for February 29, 2020, has been called off due to lack of quorum.
Rwanda President Paul Kagame is the current EAC chairman.
EAC Secretariat Secretary General, Liberat Mfumukeko informed member states that “Also postponed is the 41st Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers that was scheduled to take place from 25th to 27th February 2020 at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha. The 41st Council was supposed to precede and make preparations for the Summit meeting.”
Mr Mfumukeko says he had received a letter from the Chairman of the EAC Council of Ministers, Mr Olivier Nduhungirehe, saying South Sudan is unable to attend both meetings.
In his letter dated February 21, 2020, Mr Nduhungirehe says a new date would be set after consultations with partner states.
Quorum for the EAC Heads of State Summit is attained when all partner states are represented, according to Rule 11 of the Rules of Procedure. This is in consonance with decision making by consensus under Article 12 of the Treaty.
In November last year, Kagame, in his capacity as current chairman of the Summit, sent out a letter indicating that the meeting had been pushed to between January and February this years over unknown circumstances.
The Heads of State summit was initially scheduled for November 30, 2019, but was rescheduled to February 29 over the same.
“The 21st Meeting of the Summit of the EAC Heads of State has been postponed to a later date following a request by the Republic of South Sudan, which said it was currently in the process of forming a transitional government bringing together the government and opposition groups,” a statement from the EAC secretariat reads in part.
Mr Mfumukeko says he had received a letter from the Chairman of the EAC Council of Ministers, Mr Olivier Nduhungirehe, saying South Sudan is unable to attend both meetings.
The East African quoting sources claim that South Sudan has proposed that the EAC Heads of State Summit and the Council of Ministers meetings be held in mid-March when the transitional government of national unity is in place.
