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Igad woos EAC 3 for a new common market

Sunday November 26 2017
EAC1

The Kenya-Uganda border in Busia. After forming a trading bloc, Igad hopes to negotiate for a tripartite agreement. PHOTO FILE | NATION

By DICTA ASIIMWE

Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan could soon become members of a new common market, further complicating the existing tensions over free movement of persons in East Africa.

The three East African Community members are being targeted alongside the other five members of the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (Igad) — Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan — which is planning to have a common market by December next year, allowing for free movement of persons, goods and services in the bloc.

The decision by Igad to have a common market comes at a time when a similar initiative in the EAC is faltering, over partner states’ fears of losing land or jobs. 

Tanzania recently seized cattle belonging to Kenyan, Rwandan and Ugandan pastoralists who had crossed over in search of pasture, causing diplomatic tensions.

While EAC member states have not been explicit in creating obstacles to the common market, reports of routine creation of non-tariff barriers are common.

READ: Magufuli: Tanzania is not a grazing land for Kenya's cows

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Opportunities for youth

Europe, a region that many African immigrants aspire to go to, is among the donors funding the creation of the Igad common market. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has committed $6.7 million while the European Union has provided $4.7 million.

Lucy Daxbacher, project officer in charge of protocols on the free movement of persons and transhumance at Igad, said young people in East Africa will find opportunities within the region, instead of being tempted into making treacherous journeys to Europe or to South Africa.

“Allowing free movement of persons among Igad partner states reinforces hope in the population. It provides opportunities for our youth to settle and establish businesses beyond their country of origin, reducing the potential for unrest” she said.
Ms Daxbacher added that allowing the youth to become productive citizens takes away the motivation for illegal migration, to Europe or South Africa. 

Chris Magoba, the spokesperson of Uganda’s Ministry of EAC Affairs said that once the agreement is complete, the plan would be for Igad to negotiate with the EAC for an agreement similar to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) tripartite treaty.   

With EAC partner states belonging to other regional groups like SADC and Comesa, the three regional bodies have had to negotiate a free trade area over more than six years.

And despite the 2015 launch, the Comesa-EAC-SADC free trade area has never become operational, as member countries have over and over missed deadlines for signing the agreement.

But Mr Magoba said that the negotiations for agreement between Igad and EAC are possible, as all member countries like open borders, which are good for business and employment.

If the process of negotiation takes as long as the Comesa-EAC-SADC tripartite agreement has taken, it is likely that Igad’s attempt at common market will be overtaken by events, as African heads of state have set 2017, as the deadline for setting up a continent wide free trade area.

So far only Uganda has agreed to the Igad free movement of persons protocol. South Sudan, the other country that has so far been consulted, would like to get an exemption.

Juba argues that people from other Igad countries are much more educated and would take away jobs from the South Sudanese, who cannot compete elsewhere, as the education attainment of the majority in this war torn country is low.   

Ms Daxbacher said that to overcome such hurdles as some countries rejecting critical clauses in the protocol, Igad is looking to Uganda, which is a willing participant, to push the others.

But with tensions among refugee hosting communities and the cattle rustling now going on in Karamoja, Uganda may not necessarily have a smooth ride in implementing the free movement of persons protocol.

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