Speaker Joseph Ngere Paciko (in a fedora hat), accompanied by fellow lawmakers, at Juba International Airport before departing for Tanzania. – Photo credit: Office of the Speaker

The Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Paciko Ngere, has travelled to Tanzania to take part in preparations for the upcoming East African Community (EAC) Inter-Parliamentary Games.

The 2026 annual EAC Inter-Parliamentary Games, which bring together legislators from member states, are scheduled to be hosted in Mogadishu, Somalia, on a date yet to be announced.

Speaker Paciko left Juba for Arusha on Wednesday, where he is expected to participate in high-level discussions on logistics for the 2026 Inter-Parliamentary Games.

The discussions will also focus on strengthening parliamentary cooperation and advancing the East African Community integration agenda.

According to a statement from his office, the visit reflects South Sudan’s commitment to regional legislative cooperation, sports diplomacy, and stronger ties within the East African Community through parliamentary engagements.

South Sudan’s participation in the EAC Inter-Parliamentary Games has been inconsistent in recent years.

In 2024, South Sudan lawmakers failed to participate in the games due to financial constraints. Former Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba attributed the absence to a lack of funding.

However, the country participated in the games hosted by the Parliament of Uganda in Kampala last year.

In 2022, South Sudan hosted the games for the first time since joining the East African Community in 2016.