South Sudan to pay own EAC lawmakers in latest regional resolution

JUBA – South Sudan will begin paying the salaries of its representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) after regional leaders approved a new policy shifting the responsibility for lawmakers’ remuneration to national parliaments.

The decision was adopted during the 25th Ordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State held on 7 March 2026 in Arusha, Tanzania, according to the official communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.

Under the new arrangement, members of EALA serving in the regional parliament will be paid directly by their respective national legislatures instead of the EAC budget.

“The Summit decided that members of EALA serving in the Community should be paid by their respective national assemblies with effect from December 2027 after the end of tenure of the current Assembly,” the communiqué states.

For South Sudan, the resolution means the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) will take over the financial responsibility for the country’s EALA representatives beginning December 2027, when the current assembly’s term expires.

Financial implications

South Sudan currently sends nine lawmakers to the regional parliament in Arusha. Once the decision takes effect, the government in Juba will have to allocate funds within the national parliamentary budget to cover their salaries and allowances.

The country has struggled to pay domestic and diplomatic workers in recent years, with some going for almost a year without pay.

The shift is part of broader efforts by the EAC to streamline the financing of its institutions and reduce pressure on the community’s central budget, which is funded through contributions from partner states.

The summit also adopted a new financing formula for the regional bloc, replacing the previous system with a model in which 50 per cent of the budget will be contributed equally by partner states and 50 per cent based on assessed contributions.

South Sudan reportedly owes EAC over $20 million in membership arrears, one of the factors that potentially led to the country losing the Secretary General position to Tanzania despite the rotational principle favouring Juba in the next leadership circle.

Integration directives for South Sudan

In addition to the financing decision, the summit directed South Sudan to conclude the domestication of the EAC Treaty in order to facilitate effective implementation of regional programs and activities.

The instruction is part of wider measures aimed at accelerating the integration of newer members into the regional bloc.

The summit also launched the 7th EAC Development Strategy (2026/27–2030/31) and directed partner states to mobilise resources for its implementation.

Other key decisions

The summit also called on partner states to resolve outstanding non-tariff barriers to trade by 30 June 2026 and endorsed measures to strengthen regional cooperation.

The East African Community currently brings together eight partner states — Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia — as it continues efforts to deepen regional integration and economic cooperation across the bloc.