A four-day training workshop on the Abuja Declaration on Aviation Safety in Africa, organized by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat in collaboration with the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat, commenced in Juba on Monday.
The workshop is part of ongoing efforts to enhance the development of the air transport sector across the East African, Southern African, and Indian Ocean (EA-SA-IO) regions.
Adopted in 2012, the Abuja Declaration on Aviation Safety in Africa outlines 16 continent-wide safety targets aimed at enhancing aviation safety standards across the continent. These targets focus on key areas such as the establishment of autonomous Civil Aviation Authorities and the effective implementation of international safety protocols. The declaration also seeks to address persistent challenges, including the high accident rates in African airspace, and to promote safe, efficient, and seamless aviation operations throughout the region.
Addressing journalists after the opening session, Paul Christian Rwegasha, the Principal Civil Aviation Officer at the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat, said the main objective of the workshop is to support the implementation of the Abuja Declaration while also contributing to the realization of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
In addition, the workshop aims to strengthen the regulatory and institutional capacities of civil aviation authorities within the region, as well as improving the overall efficiency of air navigation systems.
“We are here to tell our neighbor, the Republic of South Sudan, first of all, the importance of achieving the Abuja safety targets,” he said. “Secondly, the importance of enhancing aviation safety in the development of the aviation industry in South Sudan, as well as the economic boost.”
Rwegasha further commended South Sudan for its efforts in formulating the necessary laws for the civil aviation sector.
He added that by bringing together key stakeholders and experts, the Juba workshop serves as a critical platform for advancing the objectives and fostering greater regional cooperation in the aviation sector.
For his part, Johnson Marun Telar, Director for State Safety Programs at the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority (SSCAA), said training is not only important in ensuring safety but also in building the capacity of the staff at South Sudan’s aviation sector.
“This workshop is very important for us and will inform us about the Abuja Declaration on Aviation Safety in Africa,” he said.
Marun added that to implement the Abuja Declaration, South Sudan is currently working on passing laws necessary for aviation safety.
“Our documentations are very fresh, including the primary one on aviation legislation, which was signed last year by President Salva Kiir, and it is now coming into full implementation,” he said. “Also, we have developed the regulation, the first phase, with the help of the EAC partner states. With support from other African countries, we finished phase two weeks ago, and we are now on the Abuja safety target, which is based on all these documents.”
Marun appealed for more capacity training to build the strength and ability of the SSCAA staff.