Somalia close to joining COMESA as ministers adopt Ascension pact

The eastern and southern Africa trade bloc COMESA Friday moved closer to accepting Somalia’s entry into the 20 member bloc.

Justice Ministers and Attorneys General adopted the Agreement for Accession of Somalia to the COMESA Treaty in readiness for admission to the regional bloc at the heads of summit meeting this year.

The accession follows the successful conclusion of negotiations between Somalia and the COMESA Bureau of the Council of Ministers that took place early this week in Lusaka, a statement from the Lusaka based body read in part.

The trade bloc with a $657.4 billion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was formed in 1984 to succeed then Preferential Trade Area and is home to approximately 500 million inhabitants.

Somalia was a member of the PTA but failed to negotiate its transition owing to lack of a government as the civil war had engulfed the country in 1991 after the overthrow of then president Siad Barre.

Somalia submitted its case for admission in a letter dated June 8, 2016. Tunisia is also expected to be admitted to the bloc.

Article 4 of the Treaty provides that the bloc’s highest organ — the Comesa Authority — may admit a country that is an immediate neighbour of a member state upon fulfilling conditions set forth, including acceptance of the aims and objectives, compliance with the general undertakings and fundamental principles and wishing to co-operate with Comesa.

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