By: Zakeriye Ahmed, Horn diplomat correspondent
Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud arrives in Arusha-Tanzania where he will join the Heads of States of the Eastern African Community Countries for the High-level Retreat on Common Market and 22nd Ordinary Summit to reaffirm Somalia’s membership bid to the EAC bloc.
Ashatu Kijaji, minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, received Somalia President upon his arrival at the Airport.
President Hassan will attend the 21st ordinary summit of the East African Community Heads of State in Arusha to seek support for Somalia’s bid to join the East African Community. This organization was established in 2000, bringing together seven countries with a sizeable commercial market essential for the regional economy, including Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and DR Congo.
The organization’s combined annual economy is estimated to be more than 300 billion US dollars, with the total number of people living in these countries estimated at 312 million with a single passport.
A senior diplomat from Burundi said that his country will take over the chairmanship of the EAC from Kenya and that his government will support Somalia’s candidacy. He noted that other countries would support Somalia, According to VOA Somali.
During President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s first term in office, the East African Community Somalia applied for membership, but the organization rejected Mogadishu’s request in 2016. Somalia reapplied its request in 2019 during Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo’s tenure and yet did respond.
The Democratic Republic of Congo became the last country to join this organization, officially becoming a member in July 2022, and it applied for membership in 2019.
© Horn Diplomat 2022
