<p>The rapid growth in the number of regional trade agreements (RTAs) has led to concern about the weakening of the multilateral trading system. This thesis examines the spread of such agreement and the extent to which they pose a threat to the multilateral system. Regionalism and multilateralism are complimentary as shown in the case study of the East African Community. The current regional trade agreement management rules are weak and ambiguous and possible amendments for these rules are proposed</p>

<p>This research paper pays particular attention to the EAC because of its unique composition of four LDCs46 and 1 DC47 and the fact that three of these countries are landlocked least developed countries (LLDCs).48 The EAC was notified as a RTA to the WTO under the Enabling Clause on 9 October 2000 and registered as a Custom Union49 under WT/COMTD/N/14.50 The notification of the EAC under the Enabling Clause is due to the nature of composition of members therein and to the fact that the Enabling Clause does not require regional trading arrangements to cover substantially all trade, or to achieve free trade in the bloc within ten years after notification. Additionally, it provides an avenue for giving special consideration to the LDCs through making concessions and contributions,51 allows automatic exemptions from MFN (non-discrimination) treatment in favour of DCs,52 and thus allows other WTO members to accord more favourable treatment to DCs in many cases without according the same treatment to other WTO members.53.</p>

<p>The rapid growth in the number of regional trade agreements (RTAs) has led to concern about the weakening of the multilateral trading system. This thesis examines the spread of such agreement and the extent to which they pose a threat to the multilateral system. Regionalism and multilateralism are complimentary as shown in the case study of the East African Community. The current regional trade agreement management rules are weak and ambiguous and possible amendments for these rules are proposed</p>

The process which culminated in the establishment of the East African Community (EAC) in 1967 started in the early 1920s. The idea was first conceived in Britain. Initially, East Africans vehemently opposed this idea fearing that it would sustain British hegemony in the region, but their resentment did not prevent the establishment of the East African High Commission (EAHC) in January 1948. It was only in the 1950s and 1960s that East African leaders embraced the idea due to political and economic reasons. In 1961 they converted the EAHC into the East African Common Services Organisation (EACSO) and in 1967 they established the EAC. Nationalism and sub-nationalisms in the region cast a spell on the EAC. The coup, which took place in Uganda in 1971, strained relations between Idi Amin and Presidents Nyerere and Kenyatta thus making it impossible to hold regional meetings. Eventually, the EAC collapsed in June 1977. / Political Science / M.A. (Politics)

Magister Legum - LLM / This research paper pays particular attention to the EAC because of its unique composition of four LDCs46 and 1 DC47 and the fact that three of these countries are landlocked least developed countries (LLDCs).48 The EAC was notified as a RTA to the WTO under the Enabling Clause on 9 October 2000 and registered as a Custom Union49 under WT/COMTD/N/14.50 The notification of the EAC under the Enabling Clause is due to the nature of composition of members therein and to the fact that the Enabling Clause does not require regional trading arrangements to cover substantially all trade, or to achieve free trade in the bloc within ten years after notification. Additionally, it provides an avenue for giving special consideration to the LDCs through making concessions and contributions,51 allows automatic exemptions from MFN (non-discrimination) treatment in favour of DCs,52 and thus allows other WTO members to accord more favourable treatment to DCs in many cases without according the same treatment to other WTO members.53. / South Africa

Magister Legum - LLM / The rapid growth in the number of regional trade agreements (RTAs) has led to concern about the weakening of the multilateral trading system. This thesis examines the spread of such agreement and the extent to which they pose a threat to the multilateral system. Regionalism and multilateralism are complimentary as shown in the case study of the East African Community. The current regional trade agreement management rules are weak and ambiguous and possible amendments for these rules are proposed. / South Africa

Utafiti huu unachunguza maenezi ya lugha ya Kiswahili katika taifa la Sudan Kusini kwa kuangazia njia zilizotumika kuisambaza hii lugha ya Kiswahili nchini humo. Unachunguza pia changamoto za lugha ya Kiswahili nchini Sudan Kusini na mustakabali wake. Data ya utafiti huu imekusanywa nyanjani kupitia kifaa cha mahojiano ambapo tuliwahoji wenyeji wa Sudan Kusini na wafanyakazi wa mashirika mbalimbali nchini Sudan Kusini. Utafiti huu umebaini kuwa Kiswahili kimeingia Sudan Kusini kwa msaada wa nyenzo mbalimbali kama vile vita, biashara, elimu, maingiliano ya mipakani, dini na ndoa. Utafiti huu pia unajadili baadhi ya vizuizi vinavyoweza kutatiza ukuaji na ueneaji wa Kiswahili katika taifa la Sudan Kusini kama vile tishio kubwa la ushindani na upinzani wa makundi ya lugha za Sudan Kusini na lugha ya Kiarabu ambayo ndiyo lugha ya maenezi mapana, na hali kadhalika lugha ya Kiingereza ambayo ni moja katika lugha zinazoenziwa katika taifa la Sudan Kusini hasa kwa kuwa lugha ya kimataifa. Imebainika pia kuwa sababu kubwa za kujifundisha Kiswahili kwa wenyeji wengi wa Sudan Kusini kumechangiwa na haja ya kutaka kujitambulisha na kujinasibisha na makundi mbalimbali ya Afrika Mashariki. Utafiti huu unahoji pia kuwa mustakabali wa lugha ya Kiswahili utategemea sera ya lugha nchini Sudan Kusini na utekelezaji wa matakwa ya Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki ya kufanya Kiswahili kuwa lugha ya maenezi mapana katika eneo la Afrika Mashariki nakopatikana nchi ya Sudan Kusini. / This paper examines the spread of Swahili to South Sudan. It explores the challenges of the language in South Sudan and its potential future status and use. Data from this study were collected through interviews with South Sudanese residents and employees of various organizations. The study reveals that Swahili has gained ground in South Sudan due to war, trade, education, cross-border interaction, religion and marriage practices. This study also discusses some of the impeding barriers to the growth and spread of the language, e.g., with reference to the status and use Arabic and English. It is also observed that among the main reasons for learning Swahili for many South Sudanese people is the need to identify with other East Africans. The study also argues that the future of the language will depend on the language policies in South Sudan and the implementation of the East African Community's aspirations to make Swahili a widespread language beyond its core regions.

Magister Legum - LLM

L’histoire de l’intégration régionale dans les Grands Lacs est récente. Il faut attendre la colonisation pour voir le Burundi et le Rwanda entrer véritablement dans ce processus. Le mandat belge oriente les deux territoires vers le cœur de l’Afrique. Cette période va influencer la première intégration institutionnelle avec la Communauté Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs. Il convient toutefois de rester mesuré, puisque celle-ci est avant tout une intégration de papier. Elle est similaire aux autres adhésions des deux pays à cette période, qui se révèlent être en inadéquation avec leurs circuits commerciaux. Les organisations régionales sont également inefficaces pour régler la problématique des réfugiés. Les années 1993 et 1994 sont des ruptures internes pour le Burundi et le Rwanda. Elles provoquent également un renversement régional, avec la désintégration de l’Afrique des Grands Lacs : ce sont les guerres congolaises. Dans le même temps, les deux pays se réorientent vers l’Afrique de l’Est, où l’EAC leur permet enfin un réel désenclavement. L’intégration du Rwanda semble toutefois plus efficace que celle du Burundi. / The history of regional integration in the Great Lakes is recent. To see Burundi and Rwanda truly enter into this process you have to wait the colonization. The Belgian mandate turns the two territories to the heart of Africa. This period will influence the first institutional integration with the Economic Community of Great Lakes Countries. However, we should remain cautius, since it is primarily paper integration. It is similar to other memberships of the two countries in this period, which is proving to be inadequate with their commercial channels. Regional organizations are also ineffective to resolve the refugee issue. The years 1993 and 1994 are internal ruptures for Burundi and Rwanda. They also cause a regional reversal, with the disintegration of the African Great Lakes : these are the Congolese wars. At the same time, both countries are shifting towards East Africa, where the EAC finally allows them a real opening up. The integration of Rwanda, however, seems more effective than that of Burundi.

À coté de l’objectif immédiat d’uniformiser les législations des États membres, l’OHADA s’est fixée un objectif médiat, celui de créer un vaste marché sans frontière. Or au regard des difficultés pour les sociétés commerciales de déplacer leurs sièges sociaux d’un État membre à un autre, nous ne pouvons que constater que l’existence de ce marché intégré n’est pas encore une réalité pour elles. Il apparaît alors que la seule uniformisation du droit des sociétés commerciales par l’OHADA ne suffit pas à leur permettre de réaliser des opérations de restructuration transfrontalière. Cette thèse a ainsi montré que l’OHADA a besoin d’évoluer et de se transformer pour mettre en place un véritable droit à la mobilité pour les sociétés commerciales au sein son espace communautaire. Elle doit pour cela compléter son intégration juridique par une intégration économique consacrant un libre établissement dont les opérations de mobilité seraient des modalités d’exercice, comme l’a fait l’Union européenne. Ce droit à la mobilité ne devra toutefois pas s’exercer de manière abusive. L’OHADA devra donc trouver un équilibre entre une mobilité fluidifiée et une protection efficace des actionnaires, salariés et tiers. De même il conviendra de rechercher un équilibre dans la gestion de la coexistence des normes communautaires qui ne manquera pas de se présenter dans le régime des opérations de mobilité puisqu’il s’agit d’un problème récurrent dans l’espace OHADA. / Apart from the direct objective of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) to standardize the law, its indirect objective relates to the creation of a large common market. However, regarding the difficulties for companies to transfer their registered office from one member state to another, we can see that the existence of such market is still not a reality for them. Therefore, it appears that the only standardizing of the corporate law by OHADA is not sufficient to allow them to perform their cross-border mergers. This research shows thus that OHADA needs to change and to transform itself to put in place a real right to mobility in the community area for the companies. Like the European Union, it should complete the legal integration by an economic integration setting up a freedom of establishment, including border restructuring operations. But this right to mobility should not be abused. OHADA will have to find a balance between facilitating the mobility and protecting efficiently minority shareholders, employees and third parties rights. Similarly a balance must be struck to solve the conflict of community norms in the restructuring operations legal regime, since it is a recurrent problem for OHADA space.