MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – Somalia has taken an important step towards becoming the East African Community’s (EAC) eighth member, according to EAC Secretary-General Peter Mathuki.
The EAC boss told a news conference in Arusha, Tanzania, that Mogadishu had reached the negotiating stage and voiced optimism that Somalia will be admitted to the bloc this year.
“The EAC conducted a verification mission to assess the readiness of Somalia to join the bloc and the report was deliberated on and shared with all partner states. Negotiations for admitting it will begin on the 22nd of this month to the 5th of September,” Dr Mathuki said.
A series of discussions will be place in Nairobi, with Somalia’s accession being one of the key priorities.
Somalia sought to join the Community in 2012, and on January 25, 2023, the EAC initiated a verification mission to verify its preparedness.
The report of the verification team was endorsed by the EAC Heads of State in Bujumbura on June 6, 2023, paving the way for the Council of Ministers and the EAC Secretariat to begin discussions.
Somalia shares a border with Kenya, having the longest national coastline in Africa of over 3,000km, linking Africa to the Arabian Peninsula.
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