East African Community (EAC) Partner States should resolve disputes amicably in line with good neighbourliness and the principle of one people, one destiny, according to EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki. “I therefore, encourage our esteemed Partner States to deploy peaceful settlement of any disputes and restrain, strictly observing the spirit of our Treaty and particularly on peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness,” he said in a press statement issued by the EAC Secretariat on January 12. His remarks came after the Government of Burundi took a unilateral decision, on January 11, to close its borders with Rwanda. ALSO READ: Rwanda regrets border closure by Burundi In a statement released on Thursday, January 11, the government of Rwanda said the unfortunate decision will restrict the free movement of people and goods between the two countries, and violates the principles of regional cooperation and integration of the East African Community. Rwanda and Burundi are EAC Partner States. According to the EAC statement, the East African Community was founded primarily to cooperate for mutual benefit and to promote the welfare of the people of East Africa, including jointly undertaking activities in furtherance of the objectives of the Community. Accordingly, all East African Community Partner States are urged to strive to achieve harmonious cooperation in their undertakings to ensure the people of East Africa remain at the centre of our integration, it indicated. “The Community’s operational principles provide that, our integration is people-centred and that all our undertakings should strictly observe this spirit. In the event of any dispute arising between two or more Partner States, it is expected that we use the existing EAC Dispute Resolution Mechanism that fully respect the integrity and sovereignty of our Partner States,” Mathuki observed. “I therefore, encourage our esteemed Partner States to deploy peaceful settlement of any disputes and restrain, strictly observing the spirit of our Treaty and particularly on peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness,” he said. Meanwhile, he indicated that the Secretariat was closely working with the Office of the Chairperson of the Summit of the EAC Heads of State, South Sudan President Salva Kiir, “to provide the necessary facilitation towards peaceful resolution of any arising disputes amongst our Partner States.”
