Tanzania's National Interest and the Collapse of East African Community

Abstract

The problem facing most of the developing countries today is that of the establishment of appropriate regional organizations that will optimally implement development policies within a given region. A number of regional organizations have often been inadequately operating, and whenever they operate, they end up with negative consequences. The study analyses the collapse of one of the regional co-operations, which was established to help create common market and services. The East Africa Community (EAC) was formed in 1967 by the three East African states of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The EAC was formed because the three partner states felt that the East African High Commission (EAHC) 1948-1967, was not able to facilitate the national development of each of the three states. Other causes for the collapse of EAC as mentioned by other scholars include: ideological differences, developments in Uganda, East Africa authority, the uneven level of development, external influence and the internal conflicts within the state and the literature review though gives more value to the above factors I have selected Tanzania’s national interest to explain the collapse of EAC because the national interest of a country cannot avoid being responsive to relations among other states. The figure therefore illustrates the regional cooperative mechanisms in East and Southern Africa. It explains the cooperation within East African states and how Tanzania's national interest facilitated the formation of EAC. In particular a common colonial bond and a similar capitalist form of economy amongst the East African partner states of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda made the formation of EAC possible to attain. Though the EAC has been extensively studied, especially on the factors that led to its. no study has linked its collapse to Tanzania’s pursuit of its national interest. Tanzania pursued (wo national interest objectives or goals in the African region. I he first goal was expansion of trade links within the East African regions. Tanzania’s aim was to use trade to maximize the gains from the region while developing close relations with the two partner states of Uganda and Kenya. The second goal that Tanzania pursued was the campaign against colonialism in Southern Africa region, flic simultaneous pursuit of the two policies was based on Nycrere’s belief that increased trade would facilitate Tanzania's pursuit of her anti -colonial policies in Southern Africa. Amin's coup in Uganda in 1971 severed Tanzania - Uganda relations which negatively affected Tanzania’s national interest by ending trade and other bilateral relations between the two friendly states. When the trade was severed between Uganda and Tanzania, Tanzania reacted by shifting southwards for better trade relations. When Tanzania’s trade became costly and unworthy in East Africa then the collapse of EAC became inevitable in 1977. This study relied on secondary sources of information. Therefore to enable the research constituted the dominant source of investigation. The study again identified the research gaps within the contributions made by other scholars particularly on the collapse of EAC. Primary data was also used for through an informed interaction with persons who are knowledgeable about the collapse of EAC. Their contribution made this study more enriched. This study findings and recommendations will generally enrich the existing knowledge on regional integration and the collapse of regional arrangements. The collapse of EAC was as a result of Tanzania’s pursuit of its national interest both in East African and South African regions. Though economic and political ties have oriented Tanzania’s effort to the south, economic and geographical realities will continue to draw it back to east Africa. Tanzania’s national interest is likely to continue to determine the regional arrangements in the East African region. I therefore recommend that Tanzania’s national interest be well understood by all partner states to avoid the collapse of the new EAC given that Tanzania has already threatened to pull out of the new scheme on issues of land, rights of establishment and travel documents.