South Sudan Assumes Chairmanship of EACO

By Awan Achiek

South Sudan has officially assumed the chairmanship of the East Africa Communications Organization (EACO), the leading decision-making body for the communications sector in East Africa.

The announcement was made last week at the conclusion of the East African Communication Organization’s 1st Advisory Council and 30th General Assemblies, which took place in the capital, Juba.

The conference was held in Juba from 9th to 13th June 2025.

Gieth Kon Mathiang, Director General of the National Communication Authority (NCA), is officially the Chair of the East African Communications Organization (EACO).

Michael Makuei Lueth, the Minister of Information, Communication Technology, and Postal Services, expressed South Sudan’s full commitment to implementing the resolutions from both the advisory council and the 30th General Assembly of EACO.

“South Sudan is fully committed and ready to implement the resolutions of the advisory council and EACO’s 30th General Assemblies,” a statement issued by the ministry said on Wednesday.

Makuei stated that the resolutions would not only benefit South Sudan and the EAC but would also have a positive impact across the African continent.

He appealed to delegations to act as ambassadors of peace as they return to their respective countries.

“EACO’s delegates are also to be peace ambassadors as they leave Juba to help adjust the country’s narrative wherever they may go, emphasising that South Sudan is a country of peace and harmony.”

For his part, David Yau Yau, Deputy Minister of Information, endorsed the advisory council’s resolutions and stressed the necessity of revisiting the framework for postal services.

The East African Communications Organization (EACO) was established in 2012 as a regional autonomous organisation with international legal personality and is headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda.

EACO brings together national ICT regulators, operators, service providers, ICT training institutions, and other stakeholders in the communication sector within Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The broad objective of EACO is to strengthen and promote cooperation among the seven EAC countries in the development and provision of postal, telecommunications, and broadcasting services in East Africa.