President Salva Kiir. (Office of the President).

An expert on regional affairs has called on President Salva Kiir as the Chairman of the East African Community to intervene amid rising crises between partner states.

On Monday, in a tit-for-tat move, the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority suspended all Kenya Airways passenger flights between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam with effect from January 22, 2024.

Kenya Airways operates 33 scheduled flights per week between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

This is in response to Kenya’s recent rejection of Tanzania’s request to allow its airline, Air Tanzania Company Limited to operate cargo flights between Nairobi and third countries.

Last week, a dispute between Rwanda and Burundi escalated after Bujumbura, the largest city of Burundi, announced the closure of the two countries’ common border.

In a rejoinder, Rwanda termed the move unwarranted and a violation of the principles of integration, and free movement of people and goods as espoused in the EAC treaty.

During the same week, Somalia announced readiness to go to war to stop Ethiopia from recognizing the breakaway Somaliland and building a port there.

In December, DR Congo recalled its ambassadors to Kenya and Tanzania for consultations over the hosting of DRC rebels.

Dr Jacob Dut Chol, who is also an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Juba says the crises need EAC heads of state and government to meet and resolve the feuds.

He also suggested that President Kiir conduct a shuttle diplomacy and convene a meeting to prevent the escalations.

“There is a crisis between Tanzania and Kenya regarding the air transportation, the problem of Somalia with Ethiopia, Rwanda with Burundi, Uganda with Rwanda, so all these crises are signals on where the region is going regarding integration,” Dr Dut said.

“The integration indicated that the region is supposed to be in one direction, there is supposed to be dialogue, they are supposed to have a mutual understanding on the issues as we move on to build the prosperity,” he said.

“What is happening in the region indicates that there is a great need for the president who is the chair now for the East African Community to do a lot of work in terms of shuttle diplomacy, and calling meetings for the EAC heads of state and the governments, so that the region doesn’t spiral into crisis.”

Dr Dut warns the tensions are signs that regional integration is not working as member states maintain their sovereignty.

“What we get today in the East African Community is that the integration is not 100% because the countries are keeping their sovereignty and have challenged the agenda, that’s why whenever there are things like the issues of Tanzania and Kenya over air transportation, this indicates that the integration itself is not working very well,” Dr Dut said.

“What the countries should do is first and foremost to reflect on the integration agenda, so the leaders should not do crisis.

“I believe that the East African heads of state and governments have a role to play, they are supposed to address these matters, talk to the people, and caution themselves that this integration is not about ours as leaders, but for the people in East African Community.”

The EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki, through a statement released last week in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, said the bloc was ready to mediate a diplomatic spat between Rwanda and neighbouring Burundi.

The secretariat encouraged amicable solutions to inter-state disputes.

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of eight (8) Partner States: the Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.