Somalia on the verge of joining EAC after long struggle

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Federal Republic of Somalia is on the verge of joining the East Africa Community [EAC], an expanding regional bloc that gives member countries the opportunity to trade and boost their economies through Tripartite agreements.

For months, the Horn of Africa nation has strived to join the fast-growing community, even as it tries to restore stability and order, which has been compromised for the last three decades. The country has been battling civil wars and the Al-Shabaab menace for some time.

According to reports, Somalia has since made critical steps towards gaining membership, and once admitted, it will be the eleventh member to join the summit. Most countries in Central Africa led by the Democratic Republic of Congo [DR Congo], Burundi, and Rwanda have since joined.

At Arusha recently, the EAC Secretariat confirmed that the country has made critical steps towards joining the summit, noting that in due course, Somalia would be a full-fledged member, thus opening space for businesses, trade, and security.

In Nairobi, a crucial meeting is set to take place today, which could perhaps seal the fate of the country. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been in the frontline pushing for the honour and his meetings with colleague Head of States seem to have achieved the milestone.

“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.

The country applied for membership a decade ago and throughout this period, due diligence has been ongoing by technical teams to assess the suitability. Verification was done in Burundi in June this year, giving the Secretariat the opportunity to commence the admission process.

Dr Abdusalam Omer, Somalia’s former Foreign Affairs minister and currently Presidential Special Envoy to East African Community told the EastAfrican that the negotiations will be addressing all the EAC pillars of integration, comparing and contrasting with the Somalia rules and laws.

Once the motion is ratified, the country would open doors to neighbors but security will have to be beefed first. The country has embarked on the second and perhaps final phase of operations against the Al-Shabaab militants who have been wreaking in the country.

GAROWE ONLINE