Somalia President jets back to Mogadishu after attending EAC Summit

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has today jetted back to Mogadishu after concluding a two-day working visit to Tanzania to participate, as a special guest, in the High-level Retreat on Common Market and 22nd Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State.

During the summit, the EAC chairman, President Uhuru Kenyatta threw weight behind Somalia becoming the newest member of the East African Community whose current membership stands at seven. Uhuru Kenyatta boldly gave a strong support to Somalia in joining the East Africa Community signaling acceptance from the strongest body in the east Africa bloc.

Uhuru whose tenure as chairman of the body has almost finished said at the launching of Arusha Bypass in Dar es Salam “We are glad that soon Somalia will also join us in the East African Community.”

In his statement Hassan Sheikh said he was delighted to see the Somali flag flying next to the flags of EAC countries.
“I hope that it will remain there for many years to come. Somalia can be a wealthy country. We have mineral, livestock and agricultural resources. More importantly, we have a vibrant business community. The economic and social future of the countries of the Horn of Africa is interdependent,” he said.

Somalia could have joined the EAC much earlier but internal conflicts and especially insecurity had prevented it with the former administration having diplomatic issues with many neighboring countries.
If Somalia’s quest is accepted its citizens would get more access to the EAC market as member countries enjoy tax-free transactions.

Just as ECOWAS’ policies, Somalia would also enjoy visa-free entry into EAC countries and be eligible for the East African passport. It was hinted that there are millions of Somali people in Kenya and Tanzania who have blood relations with people in Somalia.