The Republic of Somali has officially now been approved to join the East African Community.
Mogadishu’s application was approved during the East African Community Heads of State Summit held at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in the Meru District of Arusha, in Tanzania.
This therefore makes the East African Community to be an eight-state bloc.
Operating from Arusha, Tanzania, the East African Community is made up of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania that are the three original members, during the EAC revival in 1999.
There is also, Rwanda, Burundi, South-Sudan, The Democratic Republic of Congo and now Somalia, which is the latest entry in the fold.
It also means that the Horn of Africa and the rest of the West Indian Ocean Coastline have been joined into a single entity.
Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa measuring over 3000 kilometers the which is now included in the East African shoreline, giving access to the Arabian Peninsula and boosting trade.
and also links the continent to the Arabian Peninsula and the shoreline was said to bring immense benefits for the EAC through the exploitation of blue economy resources such as fish.
The December 2023 Somalia’s entry into East Africa, which was announced in Tanzania, paves way for the EAC to include two other potential members.
The East African Community envisages Ethiopia and Djibouti becoming members, a move which could increase the bloc’s population to over 800 million, which could be an immense boost to the EAC’s internal market.
Expansion would also increase the EAC’s competitiveness regarding foreign direct investments by offering an attractive trade area.
However, observers believe that once Somalia’s security and governance challenges are addressed, the country’s inclusion could add immense economic benefits to the region.
On the other hand South Sudan has taken over the chair of the Arusha-based EAC for one year. Previously, Burundi chaired the EAC after taking over from Kenya.
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