CASSOA to assist South Sudan to come on board the EAC Aviation Activities

CASSOA to assist South Sudan to come on board the EAC Aviation Activities

A high level meeting was convened on 25^th October, 2016 in Kampala, Uganda pursuant to a directive of the EAC Council of Ministers at its 34^th Meeting held in Arusha from 1^st – 6^th September, 2016 to deliberate on the development of a draft Roadmap towards the full integration of the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) into the EAC. During the meeting which was held in Imperial Royale Hotel, the core priorities and programmes, expectations and obligations of RSS that will constitute the building blocks for the Roadmap were considered as presented by the various EAC Organs and Institutions.

CASSOA Intervention

CASSOA’s role in the integration process of the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) into the EAC will be among others:

1. Assisting RSS in the establishment and alignment of its civil aviation Primary Law (the Act) with requirements of the Chicago Convention;
2. Assisting RSS in building capacity for civil aviation safety and security oversight;
3. Assisting RSS with the harmonisation of its civil aviation Regulations with those of the EAC;
4. Assisting RSS with the harmonisation of its technical guidance materials to the Regulations with those of the EAC;
5. Preparing RSS for an ICAO safety oversight audit through mock audits;
6. Preparing RSS for an ICAO security oversight audit through mock audits; and
7. Conducting technical missions to RSS in order to evaluate the safety and security oversight capability, that is implementation of the eight Critical Elements of a safety/security oversight system of the State

CASSOA holds two working group meetings annually; one for review and development of technical guidance materials, and the other for review and development of civil aviation Regulations. CASSOA also convenes technical committee meetings (one of the organs of the CASSOA Board) on a quarterly basis in order to review and consider the output of the working group meetings, and thereafter make recommendations to the Board for final deliberations. RSS is expected to attend these meetings through representation of its relevant technical experts.

The CASSOA Board, the governing arm of the Agency, convenes on a quarterly basis annually. RSS is expected to participate in the Board meetings through representation by its Director General of the RSS Civil Aviation Authority and an aviation expert nominated by the government of RSS as spelt out in the Protocol on the Establishment of CASSOA.