Friday, September 16, 2011

Burundi’s language bid in EAC fails

THE language factor may soon become another bone of contention among member states forming the East African Community (EAC).

Official reports have it here that Burundi had sent an official proposal to the EAC Council of Ministers' meeting which was held in Arusha last week, advocating for French to be included in the list of official languages of the community.

But the panel of ministers turned down the request and the country feels snubbed. "All I can say is that, Burundi was not snubbed, it is only that the issue is still being debated and the council of ministers' meeting did not reach any decision on it," said Ms Beatrice Kiraso, the Deputy Secretary General in charge of political federation.

But the Kenyan Assistant Minister for East African Co-operation, Mr Peter Munya, gave his own view, saying that since the EAC already has English as an official language there was "No need to add another colonial language in the list," he said.

According to Mr Munya, Tanzania has also sent an application wanting Kiswahili to be upgraded from its current status as "Lingua-franca" of the community and be made an official language.

"There is logic for Kiswahili to be an official EAC language because it is a local tongue and widely spoken across the five member states of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda," added Mr Munya.

But he pointed out that French was a foreign language and should not be promoted under regional co-operation. "I am surprised because at least Burundi should have advocated for Kirundi to be included in EAC not French.

"Our mandate should be to promote local languages not those which are foreign in nature and certainly, not those with strings attached to the dark colonial era in the region," maintained the Kenyan Deputy Minister of EAC.

Speaking in Arusha last week, the Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Mr Benard Membe, revealed that there are four other countries wishing to join the EAC but Article 137 of the Treaty states clearly that among the qualifications to be considered is that a member should have the ability to converse in Kiswahili (Lingua-Franca) and English (the official language of the EAC).

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