By Staff writer
On December 2, 2024, the East African Community (EAC) and the Federal Republic of Germany reaffirmed their longstanding partnership.
EAC Secretary General Hon. Veronica M. Nduva and Mr. Marcus von Essen, Head of the German Delegation and Director for East Africa at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), signed the summary record of the EAC-German negotiations.
This followed productive discussions between both parties on key priorities for future development cooperation.
The signing took place on the sidelines of the German-African Business Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, which brought together more than 100 representatives from Germany and the private sector in East Africa.
As a result of the successful negotiations, Germany committed EUR 64 million for extending the partnership in the areas of cooperation in the next three years.
In the area of sustainable economic development, training and employment, EUR 36 million was committed to further support regional economic integration, digital skills and AI research, strengthened regionalization and female empowerment in health professional trainings as well as trade infrastructure development.
EUR 23 million was committed to upscale support to pandemic preparedness and combatting communicable diseases. To strengthen environmental conservation, EUR 5 million was committed to enhance EAC’s management of nature-based solutions.
Mr. von Essen hailed Hon. Nduva on the successful organization of the recent EAC Heads of States Summit. Furthermore, the German side congratulated the EAC for improvement of intra-regional trade and furthering of EAC position as a bloc within the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Regarding the role of the private sector and civil society in regional integration, Mr. von Essen welcomed the invitation of the EAC Secretariat to the SG’s Forum describing it as a tool for engagement as foreseen in the EAC Consultative Dialogue Framework in December 2024.
On her side, the Secretary General expressed her appreciation to the German government for its continued support to regional integration in East Africa, which has led to technical and financial support of more than EUR 600 million over the last 26 years.
SG Nduva said that the cooperation had created various impacts for East African citizens in the areas of cooperation.
In view of the regional outbreaks of infectious diseases in the last two years and current outbreaks of Mpox and Marburg Virus with devastating effects on health, livelihoods and intra-regional trade, both sides emphasised the importance of strengthening regional capacities in the health sector. Against this background, EAC and Germany reaffirmed their collaboration in pandemic prevention and rapid response.
Following on EAC’s successful participation in the UN Climate Change Conference, the German side congratulated the EAC on establishing a regional position at COP29.
As flooding and droughts are hampering human development in the region both sides emphasised that cooperation for integrated water resource management will remain a key area of support.
The variety of joint EAC-German projects displays the broad spectrum of the longstanding cooperation between the EAC and Germany. The overall goal is to improve the living conditions of EAC Citizens.