Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the next summit of the East African Community will not discuss mediation for the conflict in South Sudan.

It says this is because South Sudan has not yet fulfilled all requirement s for its full membership on the bloc.

The East African Community Extraordinary Summit is scheduled to take place in the Tanzanian commercial capital Dar es-Salaam next month.

The East African Community Extraordinary Summit scheduled for Dar es Salaam next month will not mediate the South Sudan conflict as the country is yet to attain membership status in the regional body.

A spokesperson for Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mindi Kasiga, told The East African newspaper that despite signing up to become an East African Community member, South Sudan is yet to deposit instruments of ratification with the EAC Secretariat.

Ms. Kasiga says the agenda for next month’s EAC Summit which had earlier been scheduled for the 19th of August, is an evaluation of the status of the ratification of the EAC Treaty by South Sudan.

She says the postponement of the Extraordinary Summit was requested by the Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, but she did not give the reasons for the request by Mr. Kenyatta to postpone the summit.

The government of South Sudan is yet to comment on the matter.

Tanzania has reiterated its support for mediation effort undertaken by leaders of the IGAD.

The body is pressing the government of South Sudan to accept the offer of beefing-up of peacekeeping troops composed of both IGAD and UN troops, to avert a full-scale war in the country.