[Juba, South Sudan, TCT] The speaker of the East African legislative Assembly (EALA), Honorable Martin Ngoga on Tuesday said the region will support South Sudan in ending the four-year conflict that has devastated the country.
The speaker of the regional parliament made the statement after meeting President Salva Kiir during his brief visit to Juba to pave early preparation for the next phase of its rotational sitting scheduled for next month in Juba.
“South Sudan is said to be an unsafe. This is not entirely true. It is a misplaced statement,” Ngoga told local media in Juba on Tuesday.
EALA was established in 2001, as a legislative organ of the East African Community (EAC) with a mandate of legislation, representation and oversight.
Each of the six-member states of EAC including South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda contributed nine members to EALA.
“The country might have security challenges, but not as it is purported,” He said.
He reiterated that East Africa Community (EAC) is determined to strengthen President Kiir’s administration on areas of legislations including bilateral cooperation.
“We want to change that perception with the help of EALA and other East Africa community bodies to reconstruct the South Sudan to be like any of other member state,” Ngoga insisted.
The legislator said the reason of the EALA having rotational parliament is to work on certain narratives with all her member state and South Sudan is a special case for the body this year.
South Sudan’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Moses Hassan, said Juba is ready to host the members of the East Africa legislative Assembly to conduct their first session in Juba.
“We are happy to host EALA here in Juba and demonstrate to the region that we are working towards achieving a lasting solution through our neighbors,” Hassan said.
South Sudan was admitted to the East Africa Community as the sixth member state in 2016 after undergoing years of scrutiny.
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