[b]20110423 - AFRAN Kenya

Leaders of five East African nations in a stalled regional bloc admitted this week to broad concerns over the union, with Uganda's unrest and a monetary union among the sticking points.

The presidents of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda met in Dar es Salaam to review the status of the East African Community, a regional economic and trade union similar o ones elsewhere in Africa.

The leaders said in a final statement the team tasked with finding out what their citizens thought about the bloc had "identified fears, concerns and challenges".

The statement did not elaborate but said the team would draw up "concrete prposals on how to address those fears, concerns and challenges" before the next summit scheduled for November in Burundi.

A federation would necessarily mean that members lose some degree of sovereignty and some diplomats worry that constitutional reform i several countries, notaby in Kenya, is complicating moves towards integration.

There are also concerns about the democratic credentials of some of the oartners such as Uganda, said Tanzanian opposition leader and economist Ibrahim Lipumba.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has in recent weeks clamped down on opposition protests, tarnishing his democratic image.