Consultations on East African Federation

(APA)—Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Monday launched a countrywide consultative process aiming at collecting views of Rwandans on the acceleration of an East African Federation.

During the unveiling ceremony held at parliamentary buildings in Kimihurura, a Kigali suburb on Monday, the Rwandan leader said it was imperative for the government to seek ideas of the public before taking an official position on the matter.

He however quickly argued that the population must take the process seriously.

“We accepted to be party to all programmes of the East African Community when we joined, and particularly on the issue of the formation of a federation. We (EAC heads of state) agreed to consult the masses and I encourage you to support this cause,” Kagame said.

He explained that such a consultative process would compile views of all Rwandans in various areas, which he said would help the government to come out with a common position on the matter in the interest of the masses.

Kagame said Rwanda wants to see a situation where people of one East African country cross into other states freely without being branded refugees.

As national consultations with a broad range of stakeholders - both state and non-state actors, the Rwandan leader advised that focus be put on the interest of Rwandans and the EAC in general.

Rwanda has inaugurated a 12-member National Consultative Committee to handle the countrywide fast-tracking process of the EAC political federation.

The work of this team, comprising members of local government, the private sector, religious organizations, disabled and women groups, could last between three to six months, the government says.

Meanwhile, the launching of a similar consultative exercise was simultaneously going on in Bujumbura, the Burundian capital.

Inaugurated by the Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza, a team has also embarked on a countrywide tour to seek the views of Burundians on the fast tracking of the EAC political federation.

“The exercise has started on a promising note. I am sure very soon we shall be able to make our position known to the EAC Secretariat on this critical issue of a federation,” the Burundian ambassador to Rwanda Serge Karonkano told APA on Monday.

Rwanda and Burundi on 18 June 2007 signed the Treaties of Accession into the East African Community, formally joining Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in the now enlarged regional economic community of a combined population of 115 million.

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