(23-11-23) ARUSHA – President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia landed in Arusha on Thursday, ahead of a pivotal East African Community (EAC) summit, where Somalia’s long-awaited bid to join the bloc as its eighth member will be a central topic. The Somali leader was warmly greeted by the EAC’s secretary and other officials at the regional body’s headquarters in Tanzania’s northern city.
The admission of Somalia into the EAC, a topic of negotiations for years, will be a key focus of the summit. The EAC, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda, has been considering Somalia’s application since 2016. A crucial step was reviewing a verification report by the EAC Council of Ministers in Burundi in February 2023.
President Mohamud, keen on garnering support for Somalia’s membership, is expected to highlight the country’s economic potential and resources, which he believes could greatly benefit the region. His diplomatic efforts have included visits to several EAC member countries, reinforcing Somalia’s longstanding request for membership and its readiness for economic collaboration.
The Somali leader’s advocacy focuses on the prospects of economic cooperation, job creation, and infrastructural development in the Horn of Africa. The Arusha summit, therefore, is not just a diplomatic engagement for Somalia, but a significant step towards regional economic integration and collective progress.
Halqabsi News
