The Federal Republic of Somalia has formally joined the East African Community (EAC) as its eighth Partner State, after depositing the Instrument of Ratification to the EAC Secretary General Hon. Dr. Peter Mutuku Mathuki today at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
A high-level delegation led by Somalia’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Hon. Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi, was in Arusha to complete the accession process, which began in December 2023, when Somalia’s President Sheikh Hassan Mohamud and the Chairperson of the Summit of EAC Heads of State, H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is also the President of the Republic of South Sudan, signed the Treaty of Accession in Entebbe, Uganda. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Dr. Mathuki welcomed Somalia as the newest member of the EAC, a regional intergovernmental organization that aims to deepen the cooperation among its Partner States in political, economic, and social fields. He said that Somalia’s membership would strengthen the EAC’s vision of a prosperous, competitive, secure, stable, and politically united East Africa.
He also praised Somalia for fulfilling the requirements of the EAC Treaty and the Protocol of Accession, and urged Somalia to ratify and implement the EAC Protocols, Laws, and Regulations, and to participate actively in the EAC organs and institutions.
Hon. Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi expressed his appreciation to the EAC for accepting Somalia as a full member, saying that it was a historic achievement for his country. He said that Somalia was committed to contributing to the EAC’s goals and objectives, and to benefiting from the EAC’s achievements in various sectors, such as trade, infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, and peace and security.
He also said that Somalia would share its experiences and best practices with the EAC, especially in the areas of counter-terrorism, maritime security, and humanitarian affairs.
The EAC was established in 1999, following the collapse of the original East African Community in 1977. The EAC has a population of about 186 million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product of about US$ 193 billion. The other Partner States of the EAC are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.