Somalia renews push to join East African Community

Somalia has renewed interest in joining the East African Community (EAC), cementing the desire of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to stabilize ties with neighbours.

On Thursday President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Arusha-Tanzania where he will join the Heads of States of the Eastern African Community Countries for the High-level Retreat on Common Market and 22nd Ordinary Summit to reaffirm Somalia’s membership bid to the EAC bloc.

President Mohamud, who won the presidential polls in May, had attempted joining the EAC in his first term between 2012 and 2017, but the bloc initially refused the application, citing sporadic conflict and weak institutions in Somalia. But Mogadishu got back its hope after an equally troubled South Sudan was admitted in 2016.

In 2019, then President Mohamed Farmaajo reapplied alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo. Last February, the bloc decided to begin admitting Kinshasa but delayed a decision on Mogadishu, pending verification by a team of experts to determine Somalia’s readiness.

The EAC partner states are Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and DR Congo. The countries become members of the bloc when they meet certain conditions set out in the 1999 Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. Those conditions include respect for universal principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and other civil liberties.