Somalia has deposited her instrument of ratification of the Treaty of Accession with the EAC Secretary General, making it the bloc’s 8th Partner State.
- A delegation led by Somalia’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi, was in Arusha, Tanzania to deposit the instrument with EAC Secretary General, Peter Mathuki, at the EAC Headquarters.
- In line with the EAC Admission Procedure for new members, Mathuki is expected to pronounce the Federal Republic of Somalia as a new member of the Community.
- The Secretary General will subsequently inform Somalia in writing that the new member has deposited the Instrument of Ratification of the Treaty of Accession and is a full member of the Community [Article 153(1) of the EAC Treaty].
The Secretary General will then deposit the Treaty of Accession with the African Union and the United Nations expressing the new members commitment to be bound by the Treaty [Article 153(2) of the Treaty].
The Treaty of Accession was signed by Somalia’s President Sheikh Hassan Mohamud and the Chairperson of the Summit of EAC Heads of State, Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is also the President of the Republic of South Sudan in Entebbe, Uganda on 15th December, 2023. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The other seven (7) Partner States are the Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of South Sudan, Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.
Somalia’s entry into the Community presents an opportunity to the region to further integrate, expanding opportunities to its people. The move will boost connectivity, enhance trade and accelerate Somalia’s transformation plan.
The Somalia coastline — among the longest in Africa — presents massive blue economy resources such as fish to EAC.
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