Arusha, Tanzania — Negotiations to establish the East African Common Market are underway, a senior East African Community official confirmed last week.

Mr Ahmada Ngemera, EAC Deputy Secretary General (Finance and Administration) told a delegation of visiting Swedish diplomats that guidelines on the proposed arrangement have been prepared by the Community secretariat.

He said the Common Market would involve free movement of persons, labour and capital in the region.

Ngemera said although negotiations on the EAC Customs Union took four years (1999 to 2004) to reach conclusion, talks on the Common Market will not take that long, adding that they will be swifter.

"EAC partner states (Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya) have built a lot of confidence among themselves hence the optimism that they would reach swifter agreement in the Common Market negotiations" the deputy SG said.

He described the Common Market as a second stage of the EAC regional integration process, saying that the EAC Customs Union, launched early last year, was progressing well "albeit with teething problems."

He said the processing of the applications of Rwanda and Burundi to join the Community was in an advanced stage.

The matter would be presented to the Summit of Heads of State for final decision.

Ngemera said preliminary EAC verification missions have already been to Rwanda and Burundi. These would be followed by higher-level EAC missions to the two countries "for more inclusive consultations".

The Swedish delegation included the Nordic country's ambassadors to Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, representatives of Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and diplomats accredited to Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia.

The EAC official also briefed the Swedish delegation, which visited EAC head offices in Arusha, on the current drought experienced in large parts of eastern Africa and appealed for assistance to stave off famine.

The Swedish delegation comprised their ambassador to Tanzania Torvald Akesson, who led the team, ambassador to Kenya Bo Goransson, ambassador to Uganda Erik Aberg, representatives of Sida and other Swedish diplomats accredited to EAC partner states and Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia.