The Role of Regional Integration in Promoting Peace and Security: a Case of East African Community

Abstract

Peace and security are vital components in any integration, and they have continued to major guise challenges in most parts of the world. There have been attempts to form regional integration in East Africa before with failure due to some issues including political and economic bad will disfavoring regional co-operation. The community of East Africa had a significant objective of uplifting the economies of its members namely: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. This could have been achieved through trade. Nonetheless, the challenges met did not favor the integration. These difficulties arose due to the complexity, interrelatedness, and intertwining of the problems. This research looked into finding out how regional integration can enhance peace and security by cooling down the dust of challenges faced in the region. In conclusion, the study found out that, even with the existence of the secretariats and frequent technical and ministerial meetings, heads of states meetings in summits, there still is the existence of the same type of conflicts. This recurrence was accredited to slowness in ratifying the protocol, issues in membership and reluctance in implementing agreed policies, the divergence of socio-economic systems and limited capacities nationally and regionally. The progress of the EAC has been slower than expected. The study has given recommendations especially on eradicating policies and implementing the existing ones that have been overlooked by the members. In conclusion, the study has made an induction that; the EAC has to take a stronger position in the promotion of peace and security. This would enable the popularization of the blocs‟ peace, security and the framework for conflict resolution.