Valerie Ann Amos, Baroness Amos is a British Labour Party politician and diplomat who served as the eighth UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. Before her appointment to the UN, she served as British High Commissioner to Australia. She was created a life peer in 1997, serving as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council from 2003 to 2007.
The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation in East Africa. The EAC's membership consists of eight states: Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. William Ruto, the president of Kenya, is the current EAC chairman. The organisation was founded in 1967, collapsed in 1977, and was revived on 7 July 2000. The main objective of the EAC is to foster regional economic integration.
The East African Federation is a proposed federal sovereign state consisting of the eight member states of East African Community in the African Great Lakes region – Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The idea of this federation has existed since the early 1960s but has not yet come to fruition for several reasons. Though the federation has not yet been established, many steps have been taken to advance this goal. Institutions and governing bodies already exist for the eventual union of these nations, with representatives from all of the related nations working together towards this common goal. A voluntary confederation will be formed as an intermediate step prior to the establishment of a full political federation.
Jessica Eriyo was a Ugandan educator, social worker, politician and diplomat. She served as the Deputy Secretary General of the East African Community, (EAC), responsible for Productive & Social Sectors. She was appointed to that position on 30 April 2012.
Ameerah Haq is a Bangladeshi technocrat who served as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Field Support, the highest-ranking Bangladeshi official at the United Nations, from April 2012 until her resignation in July 2014. Subsequently, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appointed her as one of the co-chairs of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations. Haq also served as the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Timor-Leste and Head of the United Nations Integrated Mission in East Timor (UNMIT). Haq joined the UN in 1976.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is a regional economic community in Africa with twenty-one member states stretching from Tunisia to Eswatini. COMESA was formed in December 1994, replacing a Preferential Trade Area which had existed since 1981. Nine of the member states formed a free trade area in 2000, with Rwanda and Burundi joining the FTA in 2004, the Comoros and Libya in 2006, Seychelles in 2009, Uganda in 2012 and Tunisia in 2018.
Richard Sezibera is a Rwandan medical doctor, diplomat and politician, who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 18 October 2018 until November 4, 2019. He replaced Louise Mushikiwabo. He was replaced by Vincent Biruta on November 4, 2019.
Nuwe Amanya Mushega, commonly known as Amanya Mushega, is a Ugandan lawyer, politician, diplomat, and civil servant. He served as the secretary general of the East African Community (EAC) from 2001 until 2006.
Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba is a South Sudanese politician. She is the current Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare of South Sudan. She founded the Sudan women Parliamentary Caucus in 2004 at the start of the comprehensive peace agreement. She was chosen by the SPLM as the speaker of the Revitalised Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA). She became the first woman to preside over the parliament of South Sudan.
Sigrid Agnes Maria Kaag is a Dutch politician, humanitarian and diplomat who is the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process since 2025 and the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza since 2024.
Libérat Mfumukeko is a Burundian diplomat and civil servant. He is currently an IDA / World Bank Borrowers’ Representative where he co-chairs the Africa Group 1, and is also a Chargé de Mission at the Office of the President of the Republic of Burundi.
The 17th EAC Extra Ordinary summit was held on 8 September 2016 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The summit was held with regards to the European Union and East African Community Economic Partnership agreement. Furthermore, the unrest in Burundi and South Sudan was discussed.
Valentine Sendanyoye Rugwabiza is a Rwandan businesswoman and politician who has served as the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2016 to 2018. She now is the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of MINUSCA, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic.
Monica Kathina Juma is a Kenyan diplomat who currently serves as National Security Advisor to President William Ruto. She previously served as the Cabinet Secretary for Defence in the cabinet of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The Energy Regulators Association of East Africa (EREA) is a non-profit organisation mandated to spearhead harmonisation of energy regulatory frameworks, sustainable capacity building and information sharing among the List of energy regulatory bodies in the East African Community. Its key objective is to promote the independence of national regulators and support the establishment of a robust East African energy union.
Peter Mutuku Mathuki is a Kenyan diplomat, private sector development expert, and former Secretary-General of the East African Community who currently holds the position as Ambassador of Kenya to Russia. He previously served as the 6th Secretary-General of the EAC from 27 February 2021 to June 7 2024, an MP in the East African Legislative Assembly between 2012 and 2017, and the CEO of the East African Business Council from 2018 to 2021.
Monique Mukaruliza was a Rwandan politician who served as strategic advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MINAFETT) of Rwanda.
Martin Karoli Ngoga is a Rwandan Lawyer and politician, ex-speaker for East African Legislative Assembly. He is also a former Prosecutor General of Rwanda and Special Representative to International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
Abshir Omar Jama (Huruse) (Somali: Abshir Cumar Jaamac (Huruuse), Arabic: أبشر عمر جامع هروسي) is a Somali politician who was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somalia from 2022 to 2023.
Veronica Mueni Nduva is the 7th and current Secretary-General of the East African Community. She is the first woman to be appointed in this role.
