Rwanda will soon join the rest of the East African Community (EAC) partner states in commemorating the regional bloc’s tenth anniversary.

The celebrations will mark 10 years since the signing of the treaty for the resurrection of the EAC in November 1999.

According to the EAC Affairs Minister, Monique Mukaruliza, the anniversary will be commemorated during the EAC week from October 31 to November 6 by holding meetings aimed at sensitizing Rwandans on what the country has gained from the regional bloc.

"During that time, we shall hold meetings after Umuganda, the community cleaning exercise, and these will be at both local and national levels,” she said in an interview, with The New Times, in her office yesterday.  

The anniversary rekindles memories when the first EAC was established in 1967 collapsing on its tenth anniversary in 1977, leading to its revival in 1999.

Mukaruliza added that her ministry will ensure that the message on Rwanda’s achievements in the EAC reaches the entire population.

The minister added that Rwanda will be represented by a cultural troupe at the main celebrations scheduled for next month in Arusha, Tanzania, where the other four partner states will also bring their cultural troupes.

In an interview earlier this year, EAC Secretary General, Juma Mwapachu, said the celebrations intend to:

"Reinforce the spirit of unity, pride, good feeling and hope among East Africans about their community; and galvanize a passionate, visionary and broad participation in the EAC integration process.”

Several activities have already been held in the build up to the anniversary celebrations.

Some of these  include; the EAC military games that were held in Kigali,  the 3rd EAC media summit in Kampala, the EAC Peace and Security conference held recently in Kampala, and the EAC military field exercises "Ex Mlima Kilimanjaro 2009” in Monduli, Tanzania, and the ongoing "Ex Natural Fire 10” taking place in Kitgum, Uganda.

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