Somalia is officially a full member of the East African Community (EAC) after depositing her Instrument of Ratification at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
A high-level delegation led by Somalia’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi, Monday morning deposited the instrument with EAC Secretary General, Dr. Peter Mathuki, at the Headquarters.
This makes the Horn of Africa country the bloc’s 8th Partner State.
The Treaty of Accession was signed by Somalia’s President Sheikh Hassan Mohamud and the Chairperson of the Summit of EAC Heads of State, Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is also the President of South Sudan in Entebbe, Uganda on 15th December, 2023.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
In line with the EAC Admission Procedure for new members, Dr. Mathuki is expected to pronounce the Federal Republic of Somalia as a new member of the Community.
The Secretary General will subsequently inform Somalia in writing that the new member has deposited the Instrument of Ratification of the Treaty of Accession and is a full member of the Community [Article 153(1) of the EAC Treaty].
The Secretary General will then deposit the Treaty of Accession with the African Union and the United Nations expressing the new members commitment to be bound by the Treaty [Article 153(2) of the Treaty].
The other seven (7) Partner States are the the Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.
