The East African Community (EAC) has officially endorsed the candidature of Amina Mohamed in the race to head the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Amina is a Kenyan national and this is a boost to her bid for the highly competitive job.
Dr. Vincent Biruta, Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister also the current chairman of the East African Council of Ministers said on Sunday that Amina Mohamed had received unwavering support from member countries following a request from President Paul Kagame for her endorsement.
“Reference is made to the favourable responses received from all states of the EAC on the … request to support the candidature of the Republic of Kenya to the post of Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. I would like to inform you that the Ambassador Amina is endorsed as the candidate of the EAC to the post of the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation,” Dr. Biruta wrote to counterparts in Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan and Tanzania.
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Amina is battling for the 164-member WTO job along with Nigeria’s Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela, Ms Yoo Myung-hee of South Korea, Mohammed Maziad Al-Tuwaijri of Saudi Arabia and Dr. Liam Fox of the UK.
This year, the WTO will decide which two candidates from the five candidates will compete in the final leg that will culminate in the announcement of a new Director-General by December.
Members are supposed to reach decisions by consensus, which means that endorsements like that of the EAC can help a candidate amass broad support among WTO member states.
Original article on Taarifa Rwanda
