A three-day retreat of East African Community (EAC) ministers of foreign affairs and in charge of the EAC, which discussed the security crisis in eastern DR Congo, among other topics, concluded on Monday, July 8.
Held in Zanzibar, Tanzania, the meeting brought together Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister of State in charge of Regional Cooperation James Kabarebe, DR Congo’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Gracia Yamba Kazadi, Tanzania’s Foreign Minister January Makamba and Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Albert Shingiro.
Also in attendance was South Sudan’s Minister for EAC Affairs and Chairperson of EAC Council of Ministers Deng Alor Kuol, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Minister for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi, Somalia’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of EAC Ali Mohamed Omar, Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of EAC Affairs Rebecca Kadaga as well as EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva.
ALSO READ: Rwandan ministers to meet DR Congo, Burundi counterparts over security
Below are the key takeaways from the meeting, in which the ministers deliberated on the current status of peace, security, inter-state relations; and the state of the East African Community integration process, according to the final statement released on Monday.
DR Congo crisis
The ministers noted with concern the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. They appreciated the humanitarian truce between M23 rebels and the Congolese army, that was negotiated by the Government of the United States of America, and recommended that the truce be extended indefinitely.
ALSO READ: M23 accuses DR Congo army of violating humanitarian truce
The ministers acknowledged that the viable path to sustainable peace and security in eastern DR Congo is through a political process and recommended the convening of a summit of the EAC Heads of State to revitalize the political track of the EAC-led Nairobi process in reciprocal coordination with the Luanda process.
EAC peace support operations
The ministers noted the need for institutionalization of peace support operations in the East African Community and agreed on the need for expeditious conclusion of the EAC mutual defence pact and operationalization of the council of ministers on peace and security to ensure timely guidance on peace and security matters.
DR Congo-Rwanda-Burundi ministerial meetings
The ministers took note of the state of interstate relations and the adverse impact on the integration agenda and encouraged the partner states to use existing frameworks provided for in the treaty for the establishment of the EAC to address interstate disputes.
ALSO READ: EAC meet in Zanzibar reiterates importance of political process to end DR Congo crisis
To this end, the ministers of Rwanda and DR Congo agreed to meet at the earliest in the framework of the Luanda process.
The ministers of Rwanda and Burundi will meet by October 31, 2024 to discuss outstanding issues affecting their bilateral relations.
Implementation of EAC pillars
The ministers reviewed the status of the implementation of the four integration pillars and emphasised the need for demonstration of political commitment and goodwill to ensure realization of goals for each pillar.
Member-states contribution, arrears
The ministers deliberated on the constraints of funding the community and the arrears, and recommended they be paid at the earliest by the partner states.
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ALSO READ: Somalia pays its $7.8m full budget contribution to EAC budget
They deliberated on a sustainable funding mechanism for the community and recommended it be considered at a joint meeting of ministers of finance, EAC and foreign affairs to explore additional options of funding the community.
The ministers noted the financing model adopted by the 23rd ordinary summit of November 2023.
Amendment of EAC treaty
The ministers also took note of the urgency to complete the process of amending the treaty for the establishment of the EAC and report to the summit accordingly. The ministers also agreed to expedite amendments to decision making, and rules of procedure.
Source: allafrica.com
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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
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