EAC summit directs South Sudan to finalize domestication treaty

2026-03-08 - 07:57

Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) have directed the Republic of South Sudan to conclude the domestication of the regional bloc’s founding treaty in order to facilitate the full implementation of community programmes and activities. The directive was issued during the 25th Ordinary Summit of the East African Community Heads of State, held in Arusha, Tanzania, where regional leaders reviewed progress on integration among partner states. In the communiqué released after the summit, the Heads of State instructed South Sudan “to conclude the domestication of the treaty to facilitate effective implementation of programmes and activities of the Community.” Domestication refers to the process through which international or regional agreements are incorporated into a country’s national legal framework, allowing them to be implemented and enforced locally. South Sudan joined the EAC in 2016 but has faced challenges aligning its national laws and institutions with the regional bloc’s legal and policy frameworks. Completion of the domestication process is expected to enable the country to more effectively implement EAC policies, programmes and obligations. The summit also issued similar directives to other newer members of the bloc. The Federal Republic of Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were urged to fast-track domestication of the treaty, while the EAC Council of Ministers was tasked with accelerating integration roadmaps for the three countries. The regional leaders further called on partner states to conclude national consultations on the proposed EAC Political Confederation Constitution by June 30, 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to deepen regional integration. The EAC, which also includes Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi, is pursuing closer cooperation in trade, infrastructure, governance and political coordination among its partner states.