NO BARGAIN ON PEACE AND SECURITY - EAC BOSS

BY GRACE MACHA IN ARUSHA

 Peace and security will now top the East African Community (EAC) integration agenda.

The secretary general Peter Mathuki said in Arusha on Monday that the regional body will not waver on matters pertaining to security.

"There is no bargaining on peace especially now with talks of admitting Somalia as a new member are in advanced stage", he pointed out.

He told journalists following the relaunch of the Nyerere Centre for Peace Research that the regional leaders were committed to stability. 

Dr. Mathuki cited last weekend's extra-ordinary summit of the EAC leaders in Bujumbura, Burundi on the bloody conflict in eastern DR Congo. 

"The Burundi summit stressed peace and security not only in eastern Congo but throughout the region", he pointed out.

Foreign Affairs and EA Cooperation minister Stergomena Tax said peace and security were prerequisites for development.

She said the newly relaunched facility should mitigate possible threats to stability in the region.

The Arusha regional commissioner John Mongela launched the centre which seats within the EAC premises, on her behalf.

EAC officials said the facility was named after the Nation Founder Mwalimu Nyerere for his role in East African integration.

"Mwalimu was a true East African. He stood for a strengthened EAC", Dr. Mathuki said during the relaunching event.

The centre was initially inaugurated in July 2007 at the same premises and operated for a couple of years.

However, for nearly a decade it has been off the radar even as its building stood idly at the EAC compound.

The EAC boss said challenges that faced the facility necessitating its closure have been addressed and that it is back to business.

One of Nyerere's sons, Charles Makongoro and the nation founder's former principal assistant Joseph Butiku were invited to the event.

"He was a good man and a family person who was passionate about  freedom and democracy", Makongoro said.

Mr. Butiku, who served as Nyerere's personal secretary for 21 years (1965-1985) said Mwalimu stood for peace, unity "and people-centred development".

Ideally, the Nyerere Centre on Peace Research has been relaunched to address security challenges as well as seek appropriate mechanisms in conflict resolution.

Its revival followed an agreement signed recently between the EAC and a US-based Arcadia University.

The relaunch comes at a time the region is grappling with a myriad of violent conflicts, including  eastern DR Congo.

An official of the EAC secretariat told The Citizen that the timing of the relaunch of the centre was good.

"We need to have our own conflict resolution mechanism. We should reduce dependence from outside to resolve our conflicts", he said.

The Nyerere Peace Research Centre  was initially inaugurated in 2007 with the support of the development partners.

It was set up to become a centre of excellence in capacity building in peace, security and research. 

Not long ago, the EAC boss signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dr.Jeff Rutenbeck, the Provost of Arcadia University to operationalize it.

Speaking during the relaunching ceremony, Prof Warren Haffar from Arcadia University said the centre was "an investment for the next generation".

He said he was not surprised why the facility was named after Mwalimu Nyerere, Tanzania's Nation founder.

"Nyerere was one of the most respected African leaders who promoted international peace", he said.

In discharging its duties, the centre will benefit from operational partnership with the International Peace and Conflict Resolution programme at Arcadia university.

Besides peace and security matters, the Nyerere Centre will support the EAC in the development of policies that are relevant in regional integration.