President Yoweri Museveni has called on all East African Community member states to work on the fast tracking of the East African Political Federation in order to address the issue of strategic security in the region.
“Prosperity can be achieved through economic integration but when it comes to strategic security, we cannot achieve it if we remain separate countries. That is why we talk of federation so that we can have a strong centre of gravity,” he said.
The President was yesterday (Monday 18th November 2019) launching the consultative process of the East African Political Federation at State House, Entebbe. He noted that East African Community member states must work to create a strong force that will guarantee East African security which will, in the end, work as insurance for not only member countries but the whole of Africa.
“If we can insure cars, insure houses, why don’t we insure Africa? What is the insurance policy for Africa against aggression?” he asked.
The East African Community – Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan – aims to widen and deepen economic, political, social and cultural integration in order to improve the quality of life of the people in the region through increased competitiveness, value added production, trade and investments.
President Museveni told the team of experts who are on the drafting of the constitution for the East African Community political confederation that there is need to work for strategic security to be able to create a strong unit with the capacity to resist all forms of aggressors who might have hungry eyes on Africa. He stressed that on the basis of strategic security the region must find where strength is noting that Africa must guarantee its security by coming together as a continent.
Mr. Museveni explained that while economic integration is for prosperity, the East African Community needs political integration for strategic security in order to have enough strength with enough standing army to go in oceans and space.
He encouraged the cultivation of Pan-African outlook for purposes of economic integration and prosperity of the people, strategic security and fraternity of the people of Africa.
He stressed that African societies must fully understand the laws of nature to be able to solve such challenges like oppression of man by nature and of man by man.
The Chairperson of the East African Community Constitutional Committee, Justice Benjamin Odoki, commended President Museveni for his commitment in championing the unity of Africa adding that his credentials on the issue are well known.
He gave assurances that the team of experts is committed to ensuring that the people of East Africa get a viable and credible constitution that will reflect the will of the people and generate regional consensus.
The Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, stressed the need to engage the East African Community partner states to achieve the desired objectives.