DRC, Zambia join Eassy

By Paul Vecchiatto, ITWeb Cape Town correspondent

Cape Town, 30 Nov 2006

Twelve countries have signed the East African Submarine Cable System (Eassy) protocol, with the latest, Zambia, due to formalise its participation at a ceremony in Lusaka today, says SA's Department of Communications.

Yesterday, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) ambassador, Beene M'Poko, signed on behalf of his country in the South African capital of Pretoria.

Edmond Kagaiga, from the e-Africa Commission, witnessed the signing on behalf of the African Union.

It is not yet known if any more of the original 23 countries that initially agreed to the Eassy memorandum of understanding would meet today's cut-off date for signing the protocol.

Communications department director-general Lyndall Shope-Mafole previously said other countries were welcome to join after the deadline, but would be unable to influence the conditions of the protocol.

Zambia's signing is considered critical to the success of the land component of the whole project, as it will provide the central land link between SA and its immediate neighbours and countries such as Uganda and Rwanda.

Countries that have signed the Eassy protocol are SA, Botswana, Tanzania, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius (which signed earlier this week), Rwanda, the DRC, Uganda, Lesotho, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

During the DRC signing, Henry Chasia, head of the e-Africa Commission, said a critical number of countries had joined Eassy. He also said a meeting of the signatory countries would be held on 15 December, probably in Pretoria, where they would nominate companies from their countries that would participate in the roll-out of the system.

Communications department spokesman Richard Mantu says more countries are expected to join Eassy once the project gets under way.

Angola, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland and Kenya have yet to sign.