Sunday March 3, 2024
By BRUHAN MAKONG
The accession process began on December 16 when Somalia formally joined the EAC after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed the Treaty of Accession.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud/Villa Somalia/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 3 — Somalia is set to formalize its membership in the East African Community (EAC) by depositing an Instrument of Ratification with EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki in Arusha, Tanzania, on Monday.
The milestone marks the culmination of Somalia’s journey towards full membership in the regional bloc, the bloc’s Secretariat announced on Sunday.
The accession process began on December 16 when Somalia formally joined the EAC after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed the Treaty of Accession.
The historic ceremony took place at State House Entebbe, Uganda, in the presence of President Mohamud, his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir, who is the current chairperson of the EAC, and other dignitaries.
Somalia became the 8th member of the EAC after signing the bloc’s treaty in December 2023.
The endorsement of Somalia’s application by the EAC Summit of Heads of State on November 24 paved the way for its accession into the community.
‘Moment of pride’
President Mohamud, speaking after the ceremony, hailed Somalia’s membership in the EAC as a moment of pride and expressed commitment to fostering economic, social, and political ties for the accelerated development of the region.
Summit required Somalia to deposit the instrument of ratification with the EAC Secretary General within six months of signing the Treaty of Accession.
Additionally, the Summit tasked the EAC Council of Ministers to develop a roadmap for Somalia’s integration into the community and report progress to the next meeting of the Summit.
Somalia’s journey towards EAC membership commenced in July 2022 when Mogadishu expressed interest in joining the bloc.
President Mohamud’s high-level visit to the EAC headquarters at the time marked the formal launch of Somalia’s bid and aimed to garner support from Member States.
This visit coincided with a High-Level Retreat by EAC Heads of State to review the region’s common market protocol.
With Somalia’s impending membership, the East African Community will comprise nine Partner States, including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania.