The East African Community (EAC) Treaty was approved by the Somalian parliament on Saturday, completing the nation’s eighth membership in the regional organization.
According to Abdullahi Omar Abshir, the Second Deputy Speaker of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament of Somalia, 148 of the 150 lawmakers cast votes in favor of the treaty that would allow Somalia to join the bloc; one legislator abstained during the vote.
The parliament’s ratification of this treaty, according to Somali Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism Daud Aweis Jama, signals the end of Somalia’s membership process. This is in advance of the six-month deadline that Somalia was given to deposit its instruments of ratification with the EAC secretariat.
“This is a significant step forward in Somalia’s integration with the regional bloc, showcasing its commitment to the House of People of the Federal Parliament has approved the country’s admission to the EAC bloc, with 148 MPs (members of parliament) voting in favor on Saturday,” according to a statement released in Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
In November 2023, Somalia joined Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda as the eighth member of the East African Community (EAC).
According to experts, Somalia’s entry will significantly expand the EAC’s geographic reach, strengthen its efforts to advance its fiscal and multilateral standing, and allow it to better exploit its blue economy resources, like fish, which will strengthen the regional economy.
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