President Mohamud set to head to Tanzania today for EAC summit

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: President Sheikh Mohamud will today travel to Tanzania on an invitation to attend the East African Community summit in the city of Arusha, slated for 21st and 22nd of this month.

At the summit, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to solicit support for Somalia’s bid to join the East African Community (EAC). Somalia has shown interest in joining the EAC since 2018, and it is expected that it will be successfully incorporated into the umbrella this time round.

The (EAC) is the regional intergovernmental organization of the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the United Republic of Tanzania with its Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

According to the EAC Secretariat, the retreat will discuss the implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol. 

Among those expected at the summit to be held at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) is the current chair, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya.

The Kenyan leader is expected to hand over the chair to Burundian President Evariste Ndyeshimiye, according to EAC sources.

This is expected to be the first physical meeting of the EAC leaders for several years following the outbreak of Covid 19 and strained relations among some member states.