Admission of Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo will be one of the key agendas in the much-anticipated East African Community (EAC) Heads of State meeting set to be held on February 27 this year.
Somalia has been pushing to join the bloc since 2013 when it presented its application to the EAC secretariat to join the existing six member states namely, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan.
In July 2018, the country joined the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), a free trade zone comprising 21 African nations. This will serve as a huge boost in its quest to join EAC.
DR Congo submitted their official request to join EAC on 8th June 2019 through a letter addressed to the bloc’s leader Rwanda President Paul Kagame. The mineral rich nation already shares strong trade ties with most East African countries like Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
By allowing the two countries into the East African bloc, the region will benefit from a large consumer market comprising over 235 million residents up from roughly 150 million people currently found in the EAC. Somalia’s long coastline along the Indian Ocean is also likely to contribute to the economic expansion of the East African region.
In a letter addressed to all permanent secretaries and ministers for EAC Affairs from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan, EAC Secretary General Liberat Mfumukeko advised that the Council of Ministers hold their meeting on February 25.
“Following consultations with the chairperson of the Council, the SG wishes to convene the 40th Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers from February 22-25, 2021 in Arusha, Tanzania,” said Mr Mfumukeko.
The meeting will be conducted over several sessions that will include senior government officials and permanent secretaries starting on February 22 and culminate in the Council meeting on February 25.
Also, to be discussed is how to deal with the effects of COVID 19 pandemic.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and South Sudan’s Salva Kiir attended a Consultative Meeting of the EAC Heads of State on Regional Response to Covid-19 and the Free Movement of Goods last May. It was convened following the recommendations of a joint consultative meeting of partner states’ ministers. Tanzania and Burundi did not attend the meeting.
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