Somalia has gained full membership of the East African Community (EAC) after depositing her instrument of ratification of the treaty of accession with the bloc’s Secretary-General on 5 March 2024 in Arusha, Tanzania. EAC Secretariat head Peter Mathuki said that the move will enable Somalia to kick off the process of joining EAC’s areas of cooperation. The areas include trade, investment, industrial development and free movement of people, labor and services.
Somalia has become a full member of the East African Community (EAC) after completing all the steps required to gain complete membership of the regional bloc.This after ratification by the Somali Federal Parliament, the membership has become official.Somalia becomes the eighth member of the EAC after Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. The move is intended to boost economic growth in the country, which is still recovering from three decades of war.
Somalia is officially a full member of the East African Community. It has indeed completed its process of ratification . I want to convey a sincere thank you to the president of Somalia for his deep cooperation and support and commitment to the success of this process.
Peter Mathuki, EAC Secretary General
Meanwhile , experts argued that Somalia has taken significant strides in its fight against the armed group al-Shabab and point to security challenges in other EAC members such as the DRC, where at least 120 armed groups are fighting in its volatile east, and South Sudan, which has been in and out of a civil war since before its independence.
The country is eager to contribute meaningfully to the EAC, leveraging over strategic location, and abandoning natural resources for the benefit of all member states. We recognise the importance of adding value to the community, enhancing collaboration with our neighbors.
Jibril Abdirashid , Minister of Commerce
According to the AfDB, Somalia’s primary economic activities are livestock and agriculture, and they have proven to be highly vulnerable to climate change. Livestock remains Somalia’s main export, followed by bananas, fish, hides and skin, and charcoal, but the country is believed to have potential offshore resources like oil and gas.