Fire swept through parts of the COMESA Secretariat and destroyed property worth millions of dollars last December. Following other donor partners, the U.S Agency for International Development, East Africa, sent a mission to the Secretariat to provide any possible help to ensure that COMESA resumes normal operation as soon as possible.
That would help COMESA to continue their work of deepening the levels of integration in the region. Nevertheless, the COMESA Secretariat opened for business in January 2012 and has since continued implementing their various programmes.
USAID East Africa Deputy Mission Director Mr. John Power and USAID East Africa Regional SPS Advisor and COMESA Officer, Mr. Jeff Austin visited the COMESA Secretariat on 27th February 2012 to convey a message of support and encouragement to COMESA from the American government.
COMESA Secretary General Mr. Sindiso Ngwenya expressed gratitude for the visit and revealed that the American government through the USAID Regional Office in East Africa was an all weather friend to COMESA who not only supported activities at COMESA Secretariat but extended its cooperation to other COMESA stakeholders.
He assured the two officials that the Secretariat is operating fully and staff has renewed spirits to further deepen the levels of integration in the region.
"We are most grateful for this support from the Americans and to so many other friends and partners who have shown us that COMESA is not alone. We are surrounded by true friends like yourselves. Your support is helping us greatly to work with renewed spirits, " Mr. Ngwenya added.
The two parties joined by the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA) Dr Chungu Mwila, the Director of IT Mr. Sherin Shoukry and USAID Coordinator at COMESA Secretariat Mr. Walter Talma discussed in detail the cooperation currently existing between COMESA and USAID and how it can be further enhanced.
Following up the discussion, the Secretariat and the USAID Regional Office East Africa are to pursue with possible areas of support to the Secretariat for its immediate needs, to recover from the fire incident and continue the partnership to forward the agenda of COMESA and U.S for the region.