Kigali, 5th September 2016- Rwanda hosts a 3 day workshop on implementation of European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS)-Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) in Eastern Africa.

The workshop aims at creating awareness among Heads of CAAs from EAC/ IGAD member States and the Democratic Republic of Congo regarding the EGNOS Africa Program particularly the proposed Eastern Africa Module; which is made-up of twelve Eastern African States; Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The implementation of the Africa and EU cooperation on satellite navigation has been going on since the adoption of the Second Action Plan (2011-2013) of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES) by Heads of States and Governments of Africa and Europe in 2010.

The 26th Assembly of the African Union in February 2016 adopted the African Union (AU) Space Policy and Strategy in recognition of the key role of space technology for the development of Africa.The AU Space Policy and Strategy also recognises, in a particular way, satellite navigation systems and their applications to a wide range of economic sectors, especially in the field of transport.

In his opening remarks, Dr Alexis NZAHABWANIMANA, Minister of State in Charge of Transport emphasized that the current air navigation system’s capacity and efficiency in Africa requires to be re-visited if Africa is to benefit from the agreed establishment of a single African air transport market.

According to him “SBAS can offer a cost effective regional or sub regional solution to achieve the continent’s safety improvement targets and support the establishment of a single African air transport market, taking into consideration its technical characteristics, the need for establishing technical feasibility and economic viability of the proposed technology and configuration is very important”.

He also appreciated the Joint Programme Office (JPO) coordination in the implementation of the Africa/Europe cooperation on satellite navigation. The creation of JPO was one of prerequisites, recommended by African stakeholders, for the introduction of EGNOS-SBAS in Africa under Africa/Europe cooperation on satellite navigation.

Africa expects sustainable benefits from the partnership through EGNOS-SBAS technology transfer.