(Posted 27th November 2023)
Somalia has been admitted to the East African Community as the regional group’s 8th member state, now joining the other members (in alphabetical order) Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
There has been hesitation among several member states to approve the membership, largely due to the ongoing civil war, break away parts like Somaliland but also a multitude of governance issues.
To be admitted into the EAC, new countries are supposed to show that they adhere to the principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and social justice, a challenge newer members like South Sudan continue to struggle to attain.
Last year was Somalia named as the most corrupt country in the world by Transparency International and subsequently did some member states argue that Somalia was not ready to join the bloc.
Negotiations between the EAC and Somalia began in August hosted by the Kenyan government.
Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, himself a supporter of admitting the new member, welcomed Somalia into the regional block when he said upon his return to Uganda from the summit in Arusha:
‘I was in Arusha yesterday for the EAC summit, where Somalia was admitted as the eighth country.
The EAC now has a combined population of more than 300 million People and a land area of 2,104,210.82 Sq. miles. This is about 56% of the size of the territory of the USA.
It is, therefore, a great source of satisfaction to see how it has grown.
I salute Mwalimu who was still alive but out of Government who supported us through the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation.
I salute the Wazee Hassan Mwinyi, Arap Moi, Ben Mkapa, Mwai Kibaki, that helped in the resurrection of the nucleus of the EAC.
Thereafter, the leaders of Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and DRC brought their countries into the EAC.
I salute them.
Now Somalia has come in. Salutations to the Somali leaders and People.‘
