![John Agany Deng, Chairperson of the Information Committee and Assembly spokesperson speaks during parliamentary sitting on Tuesday, 1 August 2022 [Photo by Sudans Post]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_2644.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1)
John Agany Deng, the spokesman of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) told Sudans Post in an interview on Tuesday that there are members of the EAC who still charge citizens from other EAC countries for visa in violation of the common market protocol.
The South Sudanese lawmaker further said that the charges are contrary to the East African Community protocols which provide for free movement of people across the region, provided they produce legitimate travel documents.
“Some of our East African Community [countries] are still clinging to visas and these are some of the things we need to discuss, and we are the legislative body that can regulate regional law,” Agany said in the interview conducted on Tuesday.
The lawmaker further revealed that South Sudan will host the first International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) which he said is slated for the 31st of March to discuss issues related to the visa fee, among others.
On 28 July 2021, Uganda, and South Sudan were dragged to the East African Court of Justice after they continued charging citizens from other East African countries for entry visas fees in contravention of the regional common market protocol.
In October 2021, South Sudan waived entry visa fees for Ugandan citizens entering the country.
Both Kenya and Uganda have waived visa entry fees for South Sudanese citizens in a bid to implement the decision of the 36th meeting of the Council of Ministers of the East African Community ratifying the protocol on the Free Movement of Persons within the East African region.
In April 2016, South Sudan joined the East African Community which includes Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.
