Somalia President appoints former Foreign Minister as EAC special envoy

President Hassan Sheikh of Somalia has appointed Abdusalam Hadliye, a former foreign affairs minister and Governor of the central bank as the special envoy to the East African Community ,at a time Somalia is campaigning to be a member of the block.

President Hassan Sheikh said Hadliye’s experience in finance, diplomacy and international relations would help Somalia accomplish its objective of joining the EAC. In late July, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud travelled to Arusha to attend the East African Community, where he met regional heads of state.

The leaders discussed critical issues at the high-level retreat, including access to a common market. Somalia applied for membership in the East African Community (EAC) in 2018, but progress stalled after the EAC said it would send a delegation to evaluate Somalia’s readiness. However, the EAC has taken no action since.

Following a high-level trip to Kampala last week, Uganda’s President Museveni pledged to support Somalia’s bid to join the EAC, saying that Somalia satisfies all the qualifications to join the regional intergovernmental organization, including having a border with one member nation and being a private-sector-led democratic state.