Ministry of East African Community Affairs, Youth,Sports and Culture eac
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By Thaddee Ntahondi
From 9th to 11th January, 2023, the Minister of the East African Community Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture, Ambassador Dr. Ezéchiel NIBIGIRA 
carried out working visits in the provinces of Ngozi, Kayanza, Bubanza, Bujumbura, Mwaro and Gitega. These working visits were organized in order to discuss the various concerns of the population.
The discussions mainly focused on the 4 sectors of activities covered by the Ministry namely the integration of Burundi within the East African Community (EAC), Youth, Sports and Culture in order to collect the grievances and contributions of the population that would facilitate the authorities to make appropriate planning.
The East African Community Business Sector
During his introductory remarks, His Excellency the Minister, Ambassador Dr. Ezéchiel NIBIGIRA, informed the population in general and the youth in particular that Burundi became a full member of the East African Community on July 1st 2007.He indicated that Burundi joined the East African Community knowingly and that it has reached a stage of no return. Since its accession, Burundi has realized many benefits related to the integration of Burundi in this Community. He said that Burundi has already occupied the highest the leadership position of the Secretary General of the East African Community. Several Burundians have obtained jobs within this Community and occupy different positions of responsibility at the level of the Secretariat of the East African Community. Currently, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Burundi, Major General Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE is the Chairmanship of the East African Community Summit of the Heads of State while the East African Community Council of Ministers is chaired by Ambassador Dr. Ezéchiel NIBIGIRA, the Burundi Minister in charge of the East African Community Affairs. Several East African Community institutions are currently chaired by burundians, he precised. These include the East African Community Legislative Assembly; the East African Community Court of Justice; the East African Community Inter-University Council and the East African Community Health Research Commission.
He recalled that the East African Community is now composed of 7 partner states and that the English language is the most used official language in this Community. He specified that out of 7 partner states, 5 of them use English as their official language whereas only 2 partner states use French as their official language, namely Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. To this effect, he invited the Burundians to seriously learn the English language despite the fact that French was approved by the 21st Ordinary Summit of Heads of State of the East African Community as one of the official languages of the Community alongside English and Kiswahili. He encouraged burundians to speak constantly the English Language.Thus, all Friday afternoons that were initially reserved for sports, will be dedicated to the learning of the English language, he added.
The sectors of youth, sports and culture
The youth sector has been placed among the 6 main priorities of the responsible and hardworking government, said His Excellency Minister NIBIGIRA. He added that the Government of Burundi has put in place a Youth Investment Bank (BIJE) and a program for economic empowerment and youth employment (PAEEJ). All these institutions are operational and provide credit to fund youth development projects. In several provinces of the country, many youth development projects have been funded. To this effect, His Excellency the Minister launched a vibrant appeal to the youth by inviting them to develop bankable projects in order to benefit from the funding offered by the BIJE and the PAEEJ.
Regarding sports, he informed the population that the President’s Cup, which will soon be organized, will start from all the hills, zones, communes and provinces of the country in order to detect the talents of the populations at the grassroots.
Speaking about culture, His Excellency the Minister said that culture and mother tongue is the pillar of development. He indicated that all countries that have developed have first developed their mother tongue. He therefore invited Burundians to safeguard their culture and promote their mother tongue, Kirundi.
The introductory remarks by His Excellency the Minister which focused on the 4 sectors of activity of the Ministry was followed by discussions and questions of the population which were positively responded.
It should be noted that the Ministry’s officials who have been assigned to these provinces to liaise between the Ministry, the population and the provincial authorities were officially presented to the population by the Minister. Working visits to other provinces of the country to continue the exchanges with the Burundian population on their concerns are planned from January 30, 2023 to February 9th, 2023.
