Negotiations for Somalia’s entry into EAC to start next week

GOOBJOOG NEWS|ARUSHA: Negotiations on Somalia’s entry into the East African Community will begin next week at the ministerial level, the EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki has said.

While presenting the State of the EAC report on Wednesday, Mathuki said the Secretariat and Council of Ministers have organised the negotiations to begin from 22^nd August to 5^th September, 2023.

“Thereafter the report will be submitted to the Council for consideration before the Summit adopts and gives the next direction,” he added.

The negotiations follow the adoption of the Report of the Verification of the Application of the Federal Republic of Somalia to join EAC in June. The Verification process started in January this year intending to establish Somalia’s level of conformity with the criteria for admitting foreign countries as provided in the Treaty for the establishment of the EAC.

Somalia made its first application to join the East African Community in 2012. However, the verification mission was not conducted immediately over what the Eac said was a result of ‘various reasons.’

If Somalia is admitted into the EAC, it will be the 8^th member. The current members are Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic Congo and United Republic of Tanzania