EAC Summit Sets Deadline for Somalia to Align Laws with Regional Bloc

GOOBJOOG NEWS | ARUSHA: The East African Community summit has directed Somalia to accelerate the domestication of regional laws and complete national consultations on the proposed EAC Political Confederation Constitution by June 30, 2026, as the country deepens its integration into the bloc.

Leaders of the eight-member community issued the directive at the conclusion of their 25th Heads of State summit in Arusha, where Somalia was represented by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The summit communiqué said Somalia, which joined the EAC in 2023, must align its national legislation with the bloc’s legal framework and fast-track the domestication of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.

The meeting also confirmed the appointment of Somali legal expert Abdiwahid Warsame Abdullahi as a judge in the First Instance Division of the East African Court of Justice, strengthening Somalia’s representation in regional institutions.

Regional leaders also approved wider reforms affecting all member states, including changes to the community’s funding structure and new measures to improve trade and institutional

Somalia’s participation in the summit signals the country’s growing role within the regional bloc as it seeks deeper economic cooperation and political integration with East African partners.