Juba, SOUTH SUDAN
South Sudan faces the risk of
having its membership of the East African Community (EAC) suspended over delay
in remitting its share of contributions, a lawmaker said.
Last
week, the East African parliament decided to impose sanctions on the EAC member
states that have contributed little to the bloc.
The final
resolution for sanctions against South Sudan will be passed by the EAC Heads of
State at a summit scheduled to take place in November.
All
member countries are required to pay $8 million to the EAC as contributions
annually. South Sudan became the 6th member after joining the regional body in
2016.
Kim Gai
Ruot, a South Sudanese representative to the East African Legislative Assembly,
told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that the government has defaulted to pay its dues
to the East African Community, saying South Sudan has remitted 3 million USD
only.
South
Sudan owes the community a total of 27 million USD being this year’s financial
obligations plus arrears, according to Kim.
The
lawmaker said the EAC leaders will consider invoking Article 143 or 146 to impose
sanctions on South Sudan for its default on payment, pointing out that the
youngest nation is being urged to comply by end of October.
“If South
Sudan fails to pay its financial commitments by the end of this month, when the
heads of state meet in November, they may decide to impose sanctions on us,” he
said.
“Sanctions,
if imposed, will affect the market in South Sudan and our students who are
currently studying in East African countries,” he added.
Article
143 of the treaty is however not specific on sanctions to be undertaken
as it stipulates that “a partner state which defaults in meeting its financial
and other obligations under this treaty shall be subject to such action as the
summit may on the recommendation of the Council, determine.”
Article 146
of the treaty says the summit may suspend a partner state from taking part in
the activities of the bloc if that state fails to observe and fulfill the
fundamental principles and objectives of the treaty including failure to meet
financial commitments within a period of 18 months.
Kim urged
the national minister of finance to remit South Sudan’s dues this month. “The
problem is not because South Sudan does not have enough money. The minister of
finance was directed by the president to pay our financial obligations to the
EAC, but the minister failed to do so,” he said.
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