JUBA, South Sudan – South Sudan has become a full member of the Maritime Organization for Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa (MOESNA), opening new opportunities for regional cooperation as the landlocked country seeks to improve access to international markets.
The Ministry of Transport announced the membership on October 15, following the organization’s 10th Assembly of Ministers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
“South Sudan is geographically landlocked, but do not consider ourselves economically isolated. Our country is strategically positioned at the intersection of Eastern and Central Africa, with enormous opportunities for trade, investment, and regional connectivity,” Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport Paul Dhel Gum said.
Gum said South Sudan was committed to supporting the organization and recognized that membership brought both benefits and obligations.
South Sudan relies on transport routes through neighboring countries to reach seaports and access international markets. Membership provides a platform for cooperation on shipping, freight logistics and trade facilitation, although its immediate economic benefits remain to be seen.
Tanzania assumed the MOESNA presidency, taking over from Zambia, with Transport Minister Professor Makame Mnyaa Mbarawa serving as chairperson. Mbarawa welcomed South Sudan, Burundi, Botswana and Malawi as new full members.
“We accept this responsibility with humility and a firm commitment to advancing our common maritime interest. I particularly congratulate Burundi, Botswana, Malawi, and South Sudan on joining us as full members,” Mbarawa said.
The four countries bring MOESNA’s total membership to 10.
Yowa Soso, chair of the Shippers’ Council at the South Sudan Chamber of Commerce, welcomed South Sudan’s admission, saying it could help strengthen regional trade.
“South Sudan has taken up all the steps to join the MOESNA, and it’s going to be great. Whereby now, the region can be able to have their own shipping line, and by having the shipping line, it means that it’s going to improve trade,” Soso said.
Soso also said membership could create opportunities for South Sudan to explore transport connections through the Nile.
The assembly agreed to pursue the establishment of a regional maritime university, with Tanzania tasked with leading the initiative. Members also discussed strengthening intra-African trade and developing a regional maritime shipping line.
MOESNA traces its origins to 1967, when Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia established the Intergovernmental Standing Committee on Shipping (ISCOS). The organization adopted its current name in 2024 as its regional scope expanded.
For South Sudan, membership offers a platform to work with regional partners on shipping and logistics. Whether it reduces transport costs and improves access to global markets will depend on the agreements and transport links developed through that cooperation.