East African Community member states have been advised to promote a culture of dialogue and tolerance as a means of resolving conflicts both nationally and regionally.
Speaking at a meeting here, Burundi First Vice President Bernard Busokoza, said it came at the right time, when the EAC was facing misunderstandings between partner states in the implementation and fast tracking of agreed matters such as a free labour market and national identity cards as travelling documents within the region.
”We pass our condolences and support to the government of Kenya on the recent terrorist attack in Nairobi that saw the loss of lives and many casualties…our prayers and thoughts are with them,” he said.
He said peace and security were a prerequisite for social development in the EAC, urging partner states to foster and maintain an atmosphere for peace and security through the promotion of good neighbourliness in the region.
“Countries should engage in dialogue and tolerance for conflict prevention and resolution because the outcome will not only build a peaceful nation but region as a whole,” he noted.
According to him, the region had witnessed cyclical instability and civil strife over the last four decades, while a lot of progress had been made in the restoration of the rule of law and inculcation of the culture of peace. Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, the EAC deputy secretary general for Politics, Mr Charles Njoroge, said the bloc was currently in the final stages of starting a council for security which would deal with conflicts and security in the region.
The Citizen
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