A senior East African Community (EAC) delegation has arrived in South Sudan to start nationwide talks on the country’s political transition and a proposed EAC Political Confederation.

The team is headed by EAC Secretary-General Ambassador Stephen Patrick Mbundi, together with senior constitutional expert Amos Wako.

Kawaja Kau Madol, undersecretary at South Sudan’s Ministry of East African Community Affairs, announced on Wednesday that the process would open with discussions involving the central government before moving out to the states.

The consultations are designed to include representatives from government, political parties, civil society, academia, community leaders and youth organisations.

Kau Madol explained that the aim is to collect opinions on major political and constitutional questions and encouraged young people to take an active part.Sessions will later take place in several states, among them Central Equatoria, Lakes, Upper Nile and Jonglei.

Topics on the agenda include constitutional frameworks, financing arrangements, governance structures, decision-making systems and different approaches to regional integration.

Officials have appealed to South Sudanese citizens and other stakeholders to join the process, stressing that public input should help shape the planned regional structure.

The programme is set to open with meetings involving the president’s office and the caretaker cabinet, then broaden to political parties, civil society groups, religious organisations, youth bodies and academic institutions.

The East African Community currently comprises eight member states: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

The regional bloc advances economic and political integration and adopted a Political Confederation model in 2017 as a stepping stone toward a full East African Political Federation.