ARUSHA (Halbeeg News) – The leaders of the East Africa Community bloc have agreed to delay the verification of Somalia’s application to join the bloc.
During the virtual 21st Ordinary Summit of the East African Community Heads of States on Saturday, the organization asked the council to follow up on the exercise,
“The summit noted that the verification exercise for the admission of the Federal Republic of Somalia into the East Africa Community had not been undertaken,” EAC statement reads.
In 2016, members of the East African Community (EAC) rejected a bid by Somalia to join the organization saying that the country was unable to meet the organization’s membership requirement as a result of insecurity.
But Somalia protested and re-applied the membership of the bloc.
During yesterday’s Summit, Kenya president Uhuru Kenyatta was elected as the new Chairperson of the East African Community.
Uhuru took over from his Rwandan outgoing counterpart Paul Kagame who took over the leadership in February 2019.
EAC, an intergovernmental organisation of six countries in the African Great Lakes group cooperates in the areas of trade, travel, tourism and harmonization of tax regimes and other regulations.
The organization is also an integral part of the African Economic Community.
The Community currently consists of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda Burundi, and South Sudan.
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