BY THEMBA ZWANE
EZULWINI – Thomas Tayebwa, the East African Parliamentary Assembly President, has told delegates that he will personally approach King Mswati III to request Eswatini to ratify the Samoa Agreement.
The Samoa Agreement Is a partnership treaty signed in 2023 between the European Union and member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). It replaced the long-standing Cotonou Agreement.
Addressing delegates during the meeting, the Ugandan lawmaker stressed the importance of fully ratifying the agreement, saying signing it without completing the implementation process was not beneficial.
“Maybe for those who have not given it much attention, even the EU embassy provides assistance in your country. Anything you are doing with the EU, from aid to grants and lending, is based on this agreement. We moved away from the Cotonou Agreement and started operating provisionally under the Samoa Agreement. So, it is extremely critical for you,” he said.
Tayebwa explained that countries that have not ratified the agreement cannot access affordable financing from the European Investment Bank, forcing them to continue borrowing costly loans elsewhere.
“So, I do hope that the Secretariat has a remedy that before we leave, at least Eswatini would have ratified. I might have an opportunity with His Majesty, and it will be the critical request that I will make to him. I will also urge all of you, when you return to your countries, to push for ratification. I know what we went through in Uganda. We fought hard, but in the end, we achieved it,” he said.
The parliamentary president further revealed that he recently attended successful European Union-Caribbean parliamentary meetings in Antigua and Barbuda, where climate change emerged as a major issue affecting island states.
He encouraged African countries to focus on addressing their own continental challenges instead of relying on intervention from European states, which he described as tough negotiators.
Tayebwa also called on the Secretariat to dedicate time to discussions on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), saying it was important to examine how it aligns with the Samoa Agreement.
“We will see how best to handle areas where these agreements may conflict. For me, Africa stands to benefit far more from the African Continental Free Trade Area than from other agreements. This is the largest trading bloc globally, yet we are not benefiting enough from it,” he said.
He added that African governments should regularly report to their parliaments on progress regarding AfCFTA, the Samoa Agreement, and other international trade arrangements.
What is the Samoa Agreement?
The Samoa Agreement is a partnership treaty signed in 2023 between the European Union and member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). It replaced the long-standing Cotonou Agreement.
The agreement focuses on cooperation in areas such as trade, development funding, climate change, human rights, education, investment, and economic growth. Countries that ratify the agreement gain easier access to development grants, financing opportunities, and trade cooperation programmes supported by the European Union.
