If South Sudan joins the East African Community, it will be an important political and economic player in the region, an official has said.
A member of the technical committee negotiating on behalf of the country to join the regional bloc believes that South Sudan will develop in many sectors if its membership is finally accepted.
Mou Mou Athian, Secretary General of the technical committee, says they have identified the key areas in East Africa Community that the country would benefit from.
He was speaking during the closing of a five-day training for the members of the committee in Juba.
“South Sudan the young state turns to benefit from the East African Community by harmonizing government programs and structures to those of the East African Communities,” Mr Mou said.
According to him, some of these will include for example coordinating trade relations and customs, coordination of transport policies and infrastructure development, coordination in security and defense, harmonizing of social and tax policies and coordinating in agriculture and food security.
The training was facilitated by East Africa Regional Integration expert, Dr. Wanyama Masinde.
The presidents of Kenya and Rwanda invited the then Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan to apply for membership upon the independence of South Sudan in 2011, and South Sudan was reportedly an applicant country as of mid-July 2011
The EAC then formed a team to assess South Sudan’s bid; however, in April 2014, South Sudan requested a delay in the admissions process due to ongoing internal.