Negotiations for Somalia’s accession to the Community of East African States (EAC) began on Tuesday 22 August in Nairobi. If they succeed, Somalia will be the 8th member country, alongside Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and the DRC. These negotiations are scheduled until September 5, 2023.
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With our correspondent Nairobi, Florence Morice
Somalia’s candidacy dates back to 2012, more than 10 years ago. But it took until January 2023 for the EAC to decide to send an assessment mission to Mogadishu. It is the report from this mission that paved the way for the negotiations which began on Tuesday, August 22, 2023. An important step for the new Somali president.
The negotiations should serve to verify the compatibility of Somali laws with those of the countries of the region and the EAC treaty. In commercial matters for example, but also on the institutional level. Last week, the EAC secretary general expressed confidence that Somalia would join the organization by the end of the year.
If so, with its 3,000 km coastline open to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, Somalia would offer privileged access to its neighbors to the commercial markets of the Arabian Peninsula.
The other big issue is security: several EAC countries are already intervening militarily in Somalia to fight against shebabs but the country’s membership would strengthen regional cooperation in terms of intelligence sharing, for example. This could prove useful at a time when the withdrawal of ATMIS, the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, is beginning.
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