The South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardit officially took up the Chairmanship role of the East African Community in Arusha on Friday.
Kiir was given the role during the 23rd Ordinary Summit of the East African Heads of States.
The President of Burundi, Evariste Ndayshimiye, the former Chair of the Regional Bloc whose tenure ended this year, handed the mantle to President Kiir in an elaborate ceremony the Office of the South Sudan President reported.
In his address, President Kiir pledged to foster regional integration for greater prosperity and strategic security for the region.
“Guided by our vision for a prosperous, competitive, secure, stable, and politically united East Africa, I will focus on enhancing integration within the region during my tenure and shall continue to focus on regional peace initiatives, strengthen security measures, advance political processes and establish emergency response mechanisms. All these will be aimed at promoting good governance,” President Kiir reiterated.
In his part, President Evariste, who is the immediate former chairman congratulated President Kiir on his new role, saying the region should focus on building infrastructure to enhance intra-state trade and supply chain systems.
Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu, praised President Kiir for taking on the leadership of the regional bloc and promised to support him during his tenure.
While, President William Ruto of Kenya emphasized the importance of building a common market in the region and not losing sight of the great potential that East Africa holds.
Ruto said, “The region must not lose sight of the great potential that East Africa has and the region must build a common market”.
The East Africa Community was founded in 1967 but later collapsed in 1977 and eventually was revived in 2000.
South Sudan was officially admitted as the sixth member of the East African Community in 2016 when former Tanzanian President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli was the Chairman of the bloc.