South Sudan Admitted as Member of the EAC

At the 17th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State of the EAC on March 2nd 2016, South Sudan was admitted as a member of the East African Community and the Treaty of Accession was signed with the Republic of South Sudan. Earlier South Sudan's membership application was put on hold after the technical team cited poor market economy structures, weak governance institutions and insecurity. It is not immediately clear whether South Sudan comes in as an observer or a full member. Articles 3.3 and 3.4 of the EAC Treaty on membership do not specify the stages of new membership into the community but instead specify that the conditions of entry are:

The EAC Partner States may, upon such terms and in such manner as they may determine, together negotiate with any foreign country the granting of member ship to, or association of that country with, the Community or its participation in any of the activities of the Community. 

The matters to be taken into account by the Partner States in considering the application by a foreign country to become a member of, be associated with, or participate in any of the activities of the Community, shall include that foreign country’s: 

(a) acceptance of the Community as set out in this Treaty; 

(b) adherence to universally acceptable principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice; 

(c) potential contribution to the strengthening of integration within the East African region; 

(d) geographical proximity to and inter -dependence between it and the Partner States; 

(e) establishment and maintenance of a market driven economy; and 

(f) social and economic policies being compatible with those of the Community. 

The granting of observer status to a country is the prerogative of the summit. 

South Sudan applied to join the EAC in 2011 following the gaining of her independence before she conducted any impact assessment studies. The EAC is now a customs union and is working on forming a monetary union. It is questionable if South Sudan is adequately stable and has the institutional capacity to function adequately in a dynamic regional economic bloc like the EAC. 

See more here and other resources on EAC's accession here.