East African Community

Last updated

East African Community
  • Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki (Swahili)
  • Communauté d'Afrique de l'Est (French)
  • Umuryango w’Ibihugu by’Iburasirazuba bw’Afurika (Kinyarwanda)
  • Bulshada Bariga Afrika (Somali)
  • Lisanga ya Afrika ya Est (Lingala)
  • ekitundu ky’obuvanjuba bwa Afrika (Luganda)
Motto: "Ushirikiano wa Afrika Mashariki"
Anthem: "Wimbo wa Jumuiya Afrika Mashariki"
East African Community (orthographic projection).svg
An orthographic map projection of the world, highlighting the East African Community's member states (green)
Headquarters Arusha, Tanzania
3°22′S36°41′E / 3.367°S 36.683°E / -3.367; 36.683
Largest city Kinshasa, DR Congo
Official languages Swahili, English, [1] French
Lingua franca Swahili [1]
Demonym(s) East African
Type Intergovernmental
Partner states
8 states
Leaders
• Summit Chairperson
 Flag of South Sudan.svg Salva Kiir Mayardit [2]
• Council Chairperson
 Flag of South Sudan.svg Deng Dau Deng
•  EACJ President
Flag of Burundi.svg Nestor Kayobera
•  EALA Speaker
Flag of Burundi.svg Joseph Ntakarutimana
Flag of Kenya.svg Peter Mathuki
Legislature Legislative Assembly
Establishment
• First established
1967
• Dissolved
1977
• Re-established
7 July 2000
Area
• Total
5,448,020 km2 (2,103,490 sq mi)(7th)
• Water (%)
4.14
Population
• 2022 estimate
312,362,653(4th)
• Density
58.4/km2 (151.3/sq mi)
GDP  (PPP)2022 estimate
• Total
US$923.532 billion [3] (34th)
• Per capita
US$3,286
GDP  (nominal)2022 estimate
• Total
US$332.764 billion [4] (50th)
• Per capita
US$1,184.87
HDI  (2019)0.540
low
Currency East African shilling (EAS)
Website
www.eac.int OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation composed of eight countries in East Africa. The member states are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania. [5] Salva Kiir Mayardit, the president of South Sudan, is the current EAC chairman. The organisation was founded in 1967, collapsed in 1977, and was revived on 7th July 2000. [6] The main objective of the EAC was to foster regional economic integration.

Contents

In 2008, after negotiations with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the EAC agreed to an expanded free trade area including the member states of all three organizations. The EAC is an integral part of the African Economic Community.

The EAC is a potential precursor to the establishment of the East African Federation, a proposed federation of its members into a single sovereign state. [7] In 2010, the EAC launched its own common market for goods, labour, and capital within the region, with the goal of creating a common currency and eventually a full political federation. [8] In 2013, a protocol was signed outlining their plans for launching a monetary union within 10 years. [9] In September 2018, a committee was formed to begin the process of drafting a regional constitution. [10]

History

Formation and re-formation

From left to right: President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, and President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania during the eighth EAC summit in Arusha, November 2006. EAC presidents in November 2006.jpg
From left to right: President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, and President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania during the eighth EAC summit in Arusha, November 2006.

Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda have cooperated with each other since the early 20th century. The East African Currency Board provided a common currency from 1919 to 1966. The customs union between Kenya and Uganda in 1917, which Tanganyika joined in 1927, was followed by the East African High Commission (EAHC) from 1948 to 1961, the East African Common Services Organization (EACSO) from 1961 to 1967, and the EAC [11] from 1967 to 1977. Burundi and Rwanda joined the EAC on 6 July 2009. [12]

Inter-territorial co-operation between the Kenya Colony, the Uganda Protectorate, and the Tanganyika Territory was formalised in 1948 by the EAHC. This provided a customs union, a common external tariff, currency, and postage. It also dealt with common services in transport and communications, research, and education. Following independence, these integrated activities were reconstituted and the EAHC was replaced by the EACSO, which many observers thought would lead to a political federation between the three territories. The new organisation ran into difficulties because of the lack of joint planning and fiscal policy, separate political policies, and Kenya's dominant economic position. In 1967, the EACSO was superseded by the EAC. This body aimed to strengthen the ties between the members through a common market, a common customs tariff, and a range of public services to achieve balanced economic growth within the region. [13]

In 1977, the EAC collapsed. The causes of the collapse included demands by Kenya for more seats than Uganda and Tanzania in decision-making organs, [14] disagreements with Ugandan dictator Idi Amin who demanded that Tanzania as a member state of the EAC should not harbour forces fighting to topple the government of another member state, and the disparate economic systems of socialism in Tanzania and capitalism in Kenya. [15] The three member states lost over sixty years of co-operation and the benefits of economies of scale, although some Kenyan government officials celebrated the collapse with champagne. [16]

Presidents Daniel arap Moi of Kenya, Ali Hassan Mwinyi of Tanzania, and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda signed the Treaty for East African Co-operation in Kampala on 30 November 1993 and established a Tri-partite Commission for Co-operation. [17] A process of re-integration was embarked on involving tripartite programmes of co-operation in political, economic, social and cultural fields, research and technology, defence, security, and legal and judicial affairs.

The EAC was revived on 30 November 1999, when the treaty for its re-establishment was signed. It came into force on 7 July 2000, 23 years after the collapse of the previous community and its organs. A customs union was signed in March 2004, which commenced on 1 January 2005. Kenya, the region's largest exporter, continued to pay duties on goods entering the other four countries on a declining scale until 2010. A common system of tariffs will apply to goods imported from third-party countries. [18] On 30 November 2016 it was declared that the immediate aim would be confederation rather than federation. [19]

South Sudan's accession

The presidents of Kenya and Rwanda invited the Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan to apply for membership upon the independence of South Sudan in 2011, [20] [21] and South Sudan was reportedly an applicant country as of mid-July 2011. [20] [22] Analysts suggested that South Sudan's early efforts to integrate infrastructure, including rail links and oil pipelines, [23] with systems in Kenya and Uganda indicated intention on the part of Juba to pivot away from dependence on Sudan and toward the EAC. Reuters considers South Sudan the likeliest candidate for EAC expansion in the short term, [24] and an article in Tanzanian daily The Citizen that reported East African Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdirahin Haithar Abdi said South Sudan was "free to join the EAC" asserted that analysts believe the country will soon become a full member of the regional body. [25]

On 17 September 2011, the Daily Nation quoted a South Sudanese MP as saying that while his government was eager to join the EAC, it would likely delay its membership over concerns that its economy was not sufficiently developed to compete with EAC member states and could become a "dumping ground" for Kenyan, Tanzanian, and Ugandan exports. [26] This was contradicted by President Salva Kiir, who announced South Sudan had begun the application process one month later. [27] The application was deferred by the EAC in December 2012, [28] however incidents with Ugandan boda-boda operators in South Sudan have created political tension and may delay the process. [29]

In December 2012, Tanzania agreed to South Sudan's bid to join the EAC, clearing the way for the world's newest state to become the regional bloc's sixth member. [30] In May 2013 the EAC set aside US$82,000 for the admission of South Sudan into the bloc even though admission may not happen until 2016. The process, to start after the EAC Council of Ministers meeting in August 2013, was projected to take at least four years. At the 14th Ordinary Summit held in Nairobi in 2012, EAC heads of state approved the verification report that was presented by the Council of Ministers, then directed it to start the negotiation process with South Sudan. [31]

A team was formed to assess South Sudan's bid; however, in April 2014, the nation requested a delay in the admissions process, presumably due to ongoing internal conflict. [32] [33]

South Sudan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, claimed publicly in October 2015 that, following evaluations and meetings of a special technical committee in May, June, August, September and October, the committee has recommended that South Sudan be allowed to join the East African Community. Those recommendations, however, had not been released to the public. It was reported that South Sudan could be admitted as early as November 2015 when the heads of East African States had their summit meeting. [34]

South Sudan was eventually approved for membership to the bloc in March 2016, [35] and signed a treaty of accession in April 2016. [36] It had six months to ratify the agreement, which it did on 5 September, at which point it formally acceded to the community. [37] [38] It does not yet participate to the same extent as the other members. [19] [ timeframe? ]

Democratic Republic of the Congo's accession

In 2010, Tanzanian officials expressed interest in inviting the DR Congo to join the East African Community. The DRC applied for admission to the EAC in June 2019. [39] In June 2021, the EAC Summit launched a verification mission to assess the suitability of the DRC for admission to the Community, and has since drafted a report on their findings which is ready for submission to the EAC Council of Ministers. [40] On 23 November 2021: Ministers in charge of East African Community (EAC) Affairs have recommended for consideration by the EAC Heads of States the report of the verification team on the application by The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to join the Community. [41] In February 2022, the EAC Council of Ministers recommended that the DRC be admitted as a new member state of the EAC. [42] On 18 March 2022, the EAC Secretary-General Peter Mathuki confirmed that the Heads of State would approve the admission on 29 March 2022. [43] The Democratic Republic of the Congo was admitted as a member of the EAC on 29 March 2022, at a virtual Head of State summit chaired by Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, [44] and officially became a member of the East African Community on 11 July 2022 after depositing the instrument of ratification with the EAC Secretary General at the bloc's headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. The accession of the DRC gives the EAC its first port on the West African coast.

Somalia's accession

Representatives of Somalia applied for membership in the EAC in March 2012. [45] The application was considered by the EAC Heads of State in December 2012, which requested that the EAC Council work with Somalia to verify their application. [46] In February 2015, the EAC again deliberated on the matter but deferred a decision as verification had not yet started nor had preparations with the Somalian government been finalized. [47] During the 22nd Ordinary EAC Heads of State Summit on 22 July 2022, the EAC Heads of State, noted that the verification process for Somalia to join the community needs to be completed expeditiously. [48] In 2023, East African Community (EAC) Secretary-General Peter Mathuki said Somalia had made a critical step towards becoming the eighth member of the bloc, with negotiations on admission set to last from 22 August to 5 September. [49] Somalia was formally admitted on 24 November 2023 during the 23rd ordinary summit of the heads of state, following a five-hour closed-door meeting. [50] [51] The treaty of accession was signed on 15 December 2023 at the presidential residence in Kampala, Uganda, with Somalia having 6 months to complete its ratification of the treaty. [52] [53] Membership will be official after ratification has been completed. [54] On February 10, 2024, The Parliament endorsed the treaty of accession. [55] Somalia deposited its instruments of ratification on 4 March 2024, thus becoming the eighth member of the organisation. [56]

Geography

The geographical region encompassed by the EAC covers an area of 4,810,363 square kilometres (1,857,292 sq mi), with a combined population of about 281,050,447.

Partner states

Overview of partner states in the East African Community
CountryCapitalAcces­sionPopula­tion [57] Area (km2)GDP
(US$ bn) [57] 		GDP
per capita
(US$) [57] 		GDP PPP
(US$ bn) [57] 		GDP PPP
per capita
(US$) [57]
Flag of Burundi.svg  Burundi Gitega 200712,722,97627,8343.4272.410.8855.6
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo Kinshasa 202295,944,9842,344,85851.2669.4127.41,315.9
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Nairobi 200056,553,921580,367114.72,252.0308.76,061.4
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda Kigali 200713,705,69726,33812.1910.037.22,807.6
Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia Mogadishu 202416,500,000637,65712.49756.9834.022,060 [58]
Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Juba 201611,501,583644,3295.7392.713.5927.5
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania Dodoma 200063,732,235945,08777.51,260.1206.63,358.3
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda Kampala 200049,135,753241,55046.41,060.4129.52,960.5
312,397,1525,448,0203251106.38342841.4

Potential expansion

Angola

In 2019, President Lourenço mediated the re-opening of the borders and ending hostilities between EAC neighbours Rwanda and Uganda. Historically, Angola has been closely involved politically with the DRC with a focus on peace and stability in the DRC. Angola is currently leading the Luanda process for stability in the eastern DRC under the ICGLR with EAC Partner States – Uganda and Rwanda. [59] [60]

Central African Republic

EAC partner states Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania have been involved in peace keeping missions in the Central African Republic. President Touadera has applauded Rwanda's support in securing peace in the country. With DRC in the EAC, and infrastructure developments from Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo to Bangui, the capital of the CAR, as well as inclusion of the country into the LAPSSET project from Lamu-Juba-Bangui-Douala, this could see the mineral and resource rich country realize economic benefits. [61] [62]

Comoros

In July 2023 Kenyan President William Ruto raised the idea of Comoros joining the EAC while signing an agreement for deeper bilateral cooperation between Kenya and Comoros. Comoros and existing member Tanzania have a maritime border. [63]

Republic of the Congo

The Republic of the Congo enjoys strong historical political, economic and cultural ties with DR Congo. The Republic of Congo is involved, under the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), in the peace and stability efforts in eastern DR Congo together with Angola. Rwandan and Ugandan leaders have been meeting in Luanda with President Sassou Nguesso to support these peace efforts. [60] [64]

Djibouti

With Somalia set to join the group in October 2023, the EAC Secretary General hinted that Djibouti and Ethiopia would be joining the EAC bloc to make the market size of the community reach 800 million people. [65]

Ethiopia

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta proposed expanding the EAC to include Central, Northern, and Southern African states, such as Ethiopia. [66] The potential joining of Ethiopia into the EAC would bring the population to approximately 420 million. [67] Speaking at the opening of the One Stop Border post in Moyale in 2020, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia affirmed his commitment to regional integration saying that the east African people are one people and economic integration is a key goal for the region to achieve so as to unlock its potential. [68] [69] With other horn of Africa countries like Somalia joining the EAC and the opening up of Ethiopia's sectors such as banking and telecommunications to the private sector, being part of the EAC could soon become a priority to accelerate economic gains. [70] The vision of the region's leaders is to have the community reach 800 million people and to integrate the horn of Africa into the EAC. Ethiopia and Djibouti will soon be joining the EAC, originally planned to be together with Somalia. [65]

Malawi

In 2010, Tanzanian officials expressed interest in inviting Malawi to join the EAC. Malawian Foreign Affairs Minister Etta Banda said, however, that there were no formal negotiations taking place concerning Malawian membership. [71]

Mozambique

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in May 2022, hinted at the possibility of deploying an East African regional force to Mozambique to counter insurgency in the Northern Provinces. Rwanda, at the request of Mozambique, in July 2021 had sent a strong contingent to Cabo Delgado. Mozambique shares cultural and historical ties with EAC Partner States. There is a significant Kiswahili speaking population in the country. [72] [73]

Sudan

Sudan applied to join the EAC in 2011, with Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda supporting membership, while Tanzania and Uganda were opposed to it. They contended that because of the Sudan's lack of a direct border with the EAC at the time, its allegedly discriminatory actions toward black Africans, its record of human rights violations, and its history of hostilities with both South Sudan and Uganda, Sudan was ineligible to join and their application was rejected in December 2012. [74] [75]

Politics

The "Committee on Fast Tracking East African Federation" was created in 2004, a result of longstanding pressure by President Museveni for further integration. It recommended creating a federation with a single elected president by 2013. National committee in the then-five members to study the issue operated from 2007 to 2009. Except for Tanzania, these committees found that the majority of their populations were in favour of further integration. Nonetheless, while appointed committees continued to study integration until 2012, enthusiasm for the idea waned. [76] : 13.9–13.10  The full implementation of the customs union established in 2005 was repeatedly delayed. [76] : 13.12  The Common Market remains hampered by national restrictions. [76] : 13.13 

Some have questioned the extent to which the visions of a political union are shared outside the elite and the relatively elderly, arguing that the youthful mass of the population is not well informed about the process in any of the countries. [77] Others have pointed to an enhanced sense of East African identity developing from modern communications. [77] For these, the shared vision for a politically united East Africa is commendable and a potential driver for change. [78] Commitment to the formal EAC idea is relatively narrow, in both social and generational terms, and thus many have questioned the timetable for the project. Fast-tracking political union was first discussed in 2004 and enjoyed a consensus among the three presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. [77] Thus, a high-level committee headed by Amos Wako of Kenya was commissioned to investigate the possibility of speeding integration so as to achieve political federation sooner than previously visualised. [77] Yet, there have been concerns that rapid changes would allow popular reactionary politics against the project. [77] There has been an argument, however, that there are high costs that would be required at the beginning and that fast-tracking the project would allow the benefits to be seen earlier. [77] The East African Community appointed South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit as its chairperson in November 2023. However, this decision has been criticized by some regional observers. For example, Duop Chak Wuol, an influential South Sudanese analyst, authored a scathing article, "Justifying Dictatorship in South Sudan: A Case Against the East African Community," in December 2023. In the piece, he criticizes the East African Community's decision to appoint Kiir as its chairperson, pointing out that the EAC failed to uphold its moral obligations and accuses the bloc of ignoring what he described as Salva Kiir's tyranny.

There remain significant political differences between the states. Museveni's success in obtaining his third-term amendment raised doubts in the other countries. [77] The single-party dominance in the Tanzanian and Ugandan parliaments is unattractive to Kenyans, while Kenya's ethnic-politics remains absent in Tanzania. [77] Rwanda has a distinctive political culture with a political elite committed to building a developmental state. [77] It has been argued, however, that the commonalities go far deeper. Many of the national elites old enough to remember the former EAC often share memories and a sharp sense of loss at its eventual dissolution. [77] More cynically, others have argued that this historical ambition provides politicians with the ability to present themselves as statesmen and representatives of a greater regional interest. [77] Furthermore, EAC institutions bring significant new powers to dispose and depose to those who serve in them. [77]

Informal polls in 2007 indicated that most Tanzanians (80 percent) had an unfavourable view of the East African Federation. [79] Tanzania has more land than the other founding EAC nations combined, and some Tanzanians feared landgrabs by the current residents of the other EAC member nations. [80] [81] [82]

Other problems involve states being reluctant to relinquish involvement in other regional groups, e.g., Tanzania's withdrawal from COMESA but staying within the SADC bloc for the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations with the European Union. [77] Many Tanzanians are also concerned because creating a common market means removing obstacles to the free movement of labour and capital. [77] Free movement of labour may be perceived as highly desirable in Uganda and Kenya, and have important developmental benefits in Tanzania; however, in Tanzania there is widespread resistance to the idea of ceding land rights to foreigners, including citizens of Kenya and Uganda. [77]

A "Coalition of the Willing", made up of Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, began a number of initiatives amongst themselves including joint railway and oil pipeline projects, a joint tourist visa, and a defence and security pact, to get around reluctance from other members. [76] : 13.14  However, even within this grouping, progress on projects has been delayed. Bilateral friction between members, a lack of enthusiasm, and political instability have been the primary reasons behind the delaying and weakening of integration efforts. [76] : 13.15  New members are expected to adjust their laws to meet EAC requirements following their accession, but this is impeded by domestic politics. South Sudan, the first member outside of the original five, remains out of step with Common Market laws. [83]

Governance

East African Court of Justice

The East African Court of Justice is the judicial arm of the community.

East African Legislative Assembly

The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is the legislative arm of the community. The EALA has 27 members who are all elected by the National Assemblies or Parliaments of the member states of the community. The EALA has oversight functions on all matters that fall within the community's work and its functions include debating and approving the budget of the community, discussing all matters pertaining to the community and making recommendations to the council as it may deem necessary for the implementation of the treaty, liaising with National Assemblies or Parliaments on matters pertaining to the community and establishing committees for such purposes as it deems necessary. Since being inaugurated in 2001, the EALA has had several sittings as a plenum in Arusha, Kampala, and Nairobi.

The Speaker of the Assembly is Dan Kidega from Uganda who replaced Margaret Zziwa also from Uganda, after being impeached; she had succeeded Abdirahin Haithar H. Abdi from Kenya. The assembly has been credited with crucial bills, particularly those regarding regional and international trade, including EAC's stand on issues such as the World Trade Organization and transport on Lake Victoria. [84]

Economics

Importance of the customs union

The key aspects of the customs union include: [77]

  1. a Common External Tariff (CET) on imports from third countries;
  2. duty-free trade between the member states; and
  3. common customs procedures.

Different rates are applied for raw materials (0%), intermediate products (10%) and finished goods (25%), the latter percentage is fixed as the maximum. [77] This represents a significance decrease from what was previously the maximum in Kenya (35%), Tanzania (40%) and Uganda (15%). [77] However, this customs union is not yet fully implemented, because there is a significant list of exclusions to the Common External Tariff and tariff-free movement of goods and services. [77] Technical work is also needed to harmonise and modernise the customs procedures in the EAC's major ports of entry. [77]

The expected revenue benefits are understood to be minimal by many analysts, based on comparative-static simulation exercises demonstrating the one-off impacts of the immediate introduction of the CU's full tariff package. [77] The findings suggest an increase in intraregional trade that is largely the result of trade diversion, not trade creation, with some aggregate welfare benefits in Kenya and Tanzania but welfare losses in Uganda. [77] From a trade-integration perspective, the EAC may not be the best chosen unit, because the current trade between the three countries is small compared to their external trade, and the EAC's 105 million citizens do not represent a large market in global terms, given the very low average incomes. [77]

Business leaders are far more positive than economists about the benefits of EAC integration, its customs union as a step in the process, as well as the wider integration under COMESA. [77] The larger economic players perceive long-term benefits in a progressively expanding regional market. [77] Patterns of regional development are already emerging, including: [77]

Trade negotiations

The EAC negotiates with trade partners on behalf of all member countries. Negotiations in 2014 for an EU-EAC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) ran into difficulties with the January 2014 negotiating session failing to conclude the negotiations, which were scheduled to be completed before 1 October 2014. This caused tensions between Kenya and other countries as Kenya, which is not a Least Developed Country, stood to lose most from the failure to reach agreement. [85] Discussions are also under way between the EAC and the USA on the launch of Trade and Investment Partnership (TIP) negotiations. [86]

Poverty reduction

EAC that have economies have large informal sectors, unintegrated with the formal economy and large business. [77] The concerns of large-scale manufacturing and agro-processing concerns are not broadly shared by the bulk of available labour. [77] Research suggest the promised investments on the conditions of life of the region's overwhelmingly rural poor will be slight, with the significant exception of agro-industrial firms with out-grower schemes or that otherwise contribute to the co-ordination of smallholder production and trade. [77]

It is informal trade across borders that is most often important to rural livelihoods and a customs union is unlikely to significantly impact the barriers that this faces and taxes are still being fixed separately by countries. [77] However, the introduction of one-stop border posts being introduced and the reduction in tariff barriers are coming down progressively. [77]

The establishment of a common market will create both winners (numerous food producers and consumers on both sides of all borders) and losers (smugglers and the customs, police and local government officers who currently benefit from bribery at and around the borders) in the border areas. [77] More substantial impact could be attained by a new generation of investments in world-market production based on the region's comparative advantages in natural resources (especially mining and agriculture) and the new tariff structure creates marginally better conditions for world-market exporters, by cheapening inputs and by reducing upward pressures on the exchange rate. [77]

Common market

EAC heads in 2009. From left to right: Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Mwai Kibaki (Kenya), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Pierre Nkurunziza (Burundi). East African Community heads of state.jpg
EAC heads in 2009. From left to right: Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Mwai Kibaki (Kenya), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Pierre Nkurunziza (Burundi).

On 1 July 2010, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki launched the East African Common Market Protocol, an expansion of the bloc's existing customs union that entered into effect in 2005. [87] The protocol will leads the free movement of labour, capital, goods and services within the EAC. [87] Member states will have to change their national laws to allow the full implementation of some aspects of the Common Market such as immigration and customs. [8] This legislation may take up to five years for each of the countries to enact fully but official recognition of the common market took place on 1 July. [88] Kenya expects that its citizens will begin to enjoy freedom of movement in the EAC within two months. [89] Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi have already agreed to waive work permit fees for EAC citizens. [89] The Common Market is seen as a step towards the implementation of a common currency by 2024 and full political federation afterwards. [7] Kenyan businesses complain that the benefits of the Common Market only exist on paper by 2011, and that all the work remains to be done. Arbitrary rules and delays continue to make trade between Kenya and Tanzania expensive and difficult. [90]

The free movement of people in the EAC is set to be improved with the introduction of "third generation" ID cards. These cards will identify the holder as a dual citizen of their home country and of "East Africa". [91] Third generation cards are already in use in Rwanda with Kenya set to introduce them in July 2010 and the other countries following afterwards. [92] Mutual recognition and accreditation of higher education institutions is also being worked towards as is the harmonisation of social security benefits across the EAC. [92]

The full adoption of the common market has been undermined by continued protectionism between member states, with decisions driven by political pressures on national leaders slowing down the implementation of commitments to integration, even within founding members. Bilateral political tensions have led to border controls in some periods, further undermining the shared labour market. Corruption has led to some integration initiatives being underfunded. [93]

Plans

The new treaty was proposed with plans drawn up in 2004 to introduce a monetary union with a common currency, the East African shilling, some time between 2012 and 2015. There were also plans for a political union, the East African Federation, with a common President (initially on a rotation basis) and a common parliament by 2010. However, some experts, like those based in the public think tank Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), noted that the plans were too ambitious to be met by 2010 because a number of political, social and economic challenges are yet to be addressed. The proposal was the subject of National Consultative discussions, and a final decision was to be taken by the EAC Heads of State in mid-2007. [94] In 2013, a protocol was signed outlining their plans for launching a monetary union within 10 years. [9]

In September 2018, a committee was formed to begin the process of drafting a regional constitution. [10]

In January 2023, the East African Community plans to issue a single currency within the next four years. The Council of Ministers of the organization must decide on the location of the East African Monetary Institute and the establishment of a roadmap for the issuance of the single currency. [95]

Single tourist visa

It had been hoped that an East African Single Tourist Visa may have been ready for November 2006, if it was approved by the relevant sectoral authorities under the EAC's integration programme. Had it been approved, the visa would have been valid for all three current member states of the EAC (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda). Under the proposal for the visa, any new EAC single visa could be issued by any member state's embassy. The visa proposal followed an appeal by the tourist boards of the partner states for a common visa to accelerate promotion of the region as a single tourist destination and the EAC Secretariat wanted it approved before November's World Travel Fair (or World Travel Market) in London. [96] When approved by the EAC's council of ministers, tourists could apply for one country's entry visa which would then be applicable in all regional member states as a single entry requirement initiative. [97]

A single East African Tourist Visa for the EAC countries of Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda has been available since 2014. [98]

Demographics

As of March 2022, the combined population of all seven EAC member states was 312,362,653. The EAC would have the fourth largest population in the world, if considered a single entity.

 
Largest population centres of the East African Community
According to the most recent Censuses and Estimates [t 1] [t 2] [t 3] [t 4]
RankCity name State Pop.RankCity name State Pop.
Kinshasa-Gombe, from CCIC.JPG
Kinshasa

Dar es Salaam before dusk.jpg
Dar es Salaam

1 Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo 15,628,00011 Mwanza Tanzania 1,245,000 NBO5.jpg
Nairobi

Kampala skyline.jpg
Kampala

2 Dar es Salaam Tanzania 7,405,00012 Kigali Rwanda 1,208,000
3 Nairobi Kenya 5,119,00013 Bukavu Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,190,000
4 Kampala Uganda 3,652,00014 Bujumbura Burundi 1,139,000
5 Mbuji-Mayi Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,765,00015 Tshikapa Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,024,000
6 Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,695,00016 Bunia Democratic Republic of the Congo 768,000
7 Mogadishu Somalia 2,610,00017 Zanzibar Tanzania 766,000
8 Kananga Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,593,00018 Goma Democratic Republic of the Congo 707,000
9 Mombassa Kenya 1,389,00019 Uvira Democratic Republic of the Congo 657,000
10 Kisangani Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,366,00020 Mbeya Tanzania 620,000
  1. ↑ "Africa: Population Statistics in Maps and Charts for Cities, Agglomerations and Administrative Divisions of all Countries in Africa". citypopulation.de.
  2. ↑ Trizer, Mwanyika (4 November 2019). "2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Results".
  3. ↑ "2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume I: Population by County and Sub-County".
  4. ↑ "Africa Population (2022)". populationstat.com.

The EAC contains 15 cities with populations of over one million (half of which are in Democratic Republic of the Congo alone), the largest being Kinshasa. Kampala is the largest urban centre located on Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world and Mwanza coming in second and Kisumu third.

The East African Community's current urban population stands at about 20%.

Religion

Religions in the EAC

  Christianity (76.04%)
  Islam (14.06%)
  Other (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) (4.6%)
   Traditional African religions, Animism (4.24%)
  No religion/Unspecified (1.6%)

Languages

Kiswahili, English and French are designated as the official languages of the EAC, with Swahili designated for development as the lingua franca of the community. [1] Within the EAC, there are three countries whose official language is French: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. Numerous local languages are also spoken: for example, there are 56 local languages spoken in Uganda, [99] 125 in Tanzania, 72 in South Sudan and 67 local languages in Kenya. Kinyarwanda is spoken in Rwanda and Uganda. [100] There are over 200 local languages spoken in the DRC. Lingala is widely spoken in the western Democratic Republic of Congo, with about 15 million speakers and Kiswahili with 23 million speakers across the country. [101]

East African passport

Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the 2006 EAC summit. Rwanda joined the EAC on 1 July 2007. Kagame at EAC summit.jpg
Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the 2006 EAC summit. Rwanda joined the EAC on 1 July 2007.

The East African passport was launched on 1 April 1999. [102] The East African passport has been introduced as a travel document to ease border crossing for EAC residents. [103] [104] It is valid for travel within the EAC countries only and will entitle the holder to a multi-entry stay of renewable six months' validity in any of the countries. [103] The passport is issued in three of the EAC member states (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania). The passports are available at the headquarters of the respective Immigration Departments in Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam. Only East African nationals may apply to be issued with the passports. [103] [104] The passport costs US$10 or the equivalent in EAC currencies. [104] Processing of applications for the passports will normally take two to three weeks. Although the passport is only valid within the EAC, modalities of internationalising the East African passport were being discussed with the aim towards having a common travel document for EAC residents by 2006. [103]

Other measures meant to ease border crossing for East African Community residents include the issuance of interstate passes (which commenced on 1 July 2003), a single immigration Departure/Entry card (adopted by all three member states), the finalisation of harmonised procedures of work permits and the classification process, and the compilation of studies on the Harmonization of Labour Laws and Employment Policies (now in its final stages). [103]

Leaders

Chairman

PeriodChairman
2012–2013 Flag of Uganda.svg Yoweri Museveni
2013–2015 Flag of Kenya.svg Uhuru Kenyatta
2015–2017 Flag of Tanzania.svg John Magufuli
2017–2019 Flag of Uganda.svg Yoweri Museveni
2019–2021 Flag of Rwanda.svg Paul Kagame
2021–2022 Flag of Kenya.svg Uhuru Kenyatta
2022–2023 Flag of Burundi.svg Évariste Ndayishimiye
2023–present Flag of South Sudan.svg Salva Kiir Mayardit

Secretaries-General

PeriodSecretary-General
2000–2001 Flag of Kenya.svg Francis Muthaura
2001–2006 Flag of Uganda.svg Amanya Mushega
2006–2011 Flag of Tanzania.svg Juma Mwapachu
2011–2016 Flag of Rwanda.svg Richard Sezibera
2016–2021 Flag of Burundi.svg Libérat Mfumukeko
2021–present Flag of Kenya.svg Peter Mathuki

Comparison with other regional blocs

African Economic Community
Pillar regional
blocs (REC)		Area
(km²)		PopulationGDP (PPP) ($US)Member
states
(millions)(per capita)
EAC 4,810,363312,362,653833,6223,2868
ECOWAS/CEDEAO 5,112,903349,154,0001,322,4523,78815
IGAD 5,233,604294,197,387225,0491,1977
AMU/UMA  a6,046,441106,919,5261,299,17312,6285
ECCAS/CEEAC 6,667,421218,261,591175,9281,45111
SADC 9,882,959394,845,175737,3923,15215
COMESA 12,873,957406,102,471735,5991,81120
CEN-SAD  a14,680,11129
Total AEC 29,910,442853,520,0102,053,7062,40654
Other regional
blocs		Area
(km²)		PopulationGDP (PPP) ($US)Member
states
(millions)(per capita)
WAMZ  11,602,991264,456,9101,551,5165,8676
SACU  12,693,41851,055,878541,43310,6055
CEMAC  23,020,14234,970,52985,1362,4356
UEMOA  13,505,37580,865,222101,6401,2578
UMA  2 a5,782,14084,185,073491,2765,8365
GAFTA  3 a5,876,9601,662,5966,3553,8225
During 2004. Sources: The World Factbook 2005, IMF WEO Database.
  Smallest value among the blocs compared.
  Largest value among the blocs compared.
1: Economic bloc inside a pillar REC.
2: Proposed for pillar REC, but objecting participation.
3: Non-African members of GAFTA are excluded from figures.
a: The area 446,550 km2 used for Morocco excludes all disputed territories, while 710,850 km2 would include the Moroccan-claimed and partially-controlled parts of Western Sahara (claimed as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic by the Polisario Front). Morocco also claims Ceuta and Melilla, making up about 22.8 km2 (8.8 sq mi) more claimed territory.
This box:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Africa</span> Eastern region of the African continent

East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the African continent, distinguished by its geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the region is recognized in the United Nations Statistics Division scheme as encompassing 18 sovereign states and 4 territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern African Development Community</span> Inter-governmental organization

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intergovernmental Authority on Development</span> Eight-country trade bloc in East Africa

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa. It includes governments from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes. It is headquartered in Djibouti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African Economic Community</span> International organization

The African Economic Community (AEC) is an organization of African Union states establishing grounds for mutual economic development among the majority of African states. The stated goals of the organization include the creation of free trade areas, customs unions, a single market, a central bank, and a common currency thus establishing an economic and monetary union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of the African Union</span> An African International agency

The individual member states of the African Union (AU) coordinate foreign policy through this agency, in addition to conducting their own international relations on a state-by-state basis. The AU represents the interests of African peoples at large in intergovernmental organizations (IGO's); for instance, it is a permanent observer at the United Nations' General Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fan-tailed widowbird</span> Species of bird

The fan-tailed widowbird, also known as the red-shouldered widowbird, is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae, which is native to grassy and swampy areas of the tropical and subtropical Afrotropics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East African Federation</span> Proposed African country

The East African Federation is a proposed political union of the eight sovereign states of the East African Community in the African Great Lakes region – Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Somalia and Uganda – as a single federated sovereign state. The idea of this federation has existed since the early 1960s but has not yet come to fruition for several reasons. In September 2018, a committee was formed to begin the process of drafting a regional constitution, and a draft constitution for the confederation was set to be written by the end of 2021 with its implementation by 2023. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted plans to draft and implement a constitution. On 20 March 2023, the EAC announced that the drafting process would resume in May of that year in Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African Free Trade Zone</span> Free trade zone

The African Free Trade Zone (AFTZ) is a free trade zone announced at the EAC-SADC-COMESA Summit on 22 October 2008 by the heads of Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC). The African Free Trade Zone is also referred to as the African Free Trade Area in some official documents and press releases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Africa</span>

Tourism is an important economic sector for many countries in Africa. There are many countries that benefit heavily from tourism like Uganda, Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Tanzania. The touristic particularity of Africa lies in the wide variety of points of interest, diversity and multitudes of landscapes as well as the rich cultural heritage. Also, an ecotourist industry is present in some African countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of South Sudan</span>

South Sudan became the world's newest country and Africa's 55th nation on 9 July 2011. The South Sudanese Civil War, which started in December 2013, undermined economic development achieved since independence, making humanitarian work difficult to conduct within the country. As such, South Sudan is facing economic stagnation and instability in its first 10 years after independence. Moreover, poverty is widespread throughout the country as a result of inter-communal conflict, displacement, and external fear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equity Bank Rwanda Limited</span> Bank in Rwanda

Equity Bank Rwanda Limited (EBRL), is a commercial bank in Rwanda. The bank is licensed by the National Bank of Rwanda, the central bank and national banking regulator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equity Group Holdings</span> Financial services holding company based in the African Great Lakes region

Equity Group Holdings Limited (EGHL), formerly Equity Bank Group, is a financial services holding company based in the African Great Lakes region. EGHL's headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya, with subsidiaries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and a representative office in Ethiopia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenya–Rwanda relations</span> Bilateral relations

Kenya – Rwanda relations are the bilateral relations between Kenya and Rwanda. Kenya is a partner of Rwanda in many areas, particularly trade, security (military), education, agriculture and energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emblem of the East African Community</span>

The emblem of the East African Community is the emblem used since 2008 by the East African Community, an intergovernmental organisation composed of seven countries in the African Great Lakes region in eastern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">17th EAC Extra Ordinary summit</span>

The 17th EAC Extra Ordinary summit was held on 8 September 2016 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The summit was held with regards to the European Union and East African Community Economic Partnership agreement. Furthermore, the unrest in Burundi and South Sudan was discussed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">18th EAC Ordinary summit</span>

The 18th EAC Ordinary summit was held on 20 May 2017 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The focus of the summit was the European Union and East African Community Economic Partnership agreement. Also on the agenda of the meeting was the status of the EAC political federation and the speedy integration of South Sudan. The leadership of the community was also transferred from John Magufuli of Tanzania to Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. The Burundian crisis was significantly neglected during the summit, however, Yoweri Museveni the new chairman of the member bloc vowed to quickly find a solution to the crisis.

Science and technology in Uganda examine government efforts to develop a national innovation system and the impact of these policies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trade in the East African Community</span>

Countries of the East African Community (EAC) include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan. These nations fall below par in different measures of economic activities such as GDP per capita, population below the poverty line, unemployment, and trade. The East African Community has made an effort to bolster trade through enhancing co-operation economically, socially, and politically within the member nations. "The aim of EAC is to gradually establish among themselves a Customs Union, a Common Market, a Monetary Union, and ultimately a Political Federation of the East African States." East African Community countries also have active trade to other parts of the world, like the European Union. Each country is a part of the World Trade Organization except for South Sudan who remains out of this conglomeration. As of 2014, these six countries have a combined GDP of $159.5 billion, GDP per capita of $918, total population of 168.5 million, total import $40.2 billion, and total export $13.6 billion. These countries become much stronger as a part of the community as they become a larger market for trade outside of the bloc. Also, the bloc allows for free trade between the member countries helping not only producers who have more options to sell their product but also consumers who have more cheap goods. It is always important for fish to be in fresh water lakes

<span class="mw-page-title-main">19th EAC Ordinary summit</span>

The 19th EAC Ordinary summit was held on 23 February 2018 in Kampala, Uganda. The focus of the summit was deepen regional integration through infrastructure development and financing for health. on the agenda of the meeting was the status of the EAC political federation and the speedy integration of South Sudan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">21st EAC Ordinary summit</span>

The 21st EAC Ordinary summit was held between 22 February 2021 to 25 February 2021 virtually. This was the first summit held after the start of COVID-19 pandemic. The summit focused on considering applications of new members along with re-organizing the leadership of the bloc. The leadership of the community was transferred from Paul Kagame of Rwanda to Uhuru Kenyatta or Kenya.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Development and Promotion of Extractive Industries and Mineral Value Addition". eac.int.
  2. ↑ @jumuiya (24 November 2023). "South Sudan has assumed Chairmanship of the East African Community" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ↑ "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects" . Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  4. ↑ "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects". imf.org.
  5. ↑ "East African Community continues on a trajectory of expansion as Summit admits Somalia into the bloc". Eac.int. 25 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "East African Community – Quick Facts". Eac.int. Archived from the original on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  7. 1 2 "A political union for east Africa? – You say you want a federation" . The Economist . 9 February 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  8. 1 2 "FACTBOX-East African common market begins". Reuters. 1 July 2010. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  9. 1 2 "East African trade bloc approves monetary union deal". Reuters. 30 November 2013.
  10. 1 2 Havyarimana, Moses (29 September 2018). "Ready for a United States of East Africa? The wheels are already turning". The East African.
  11. ↑ "From Co-operation to Community". eac.int. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008.
  12. ↑ "EAC Update E-newsletter". eac.int. Directorate of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  13. ↑ "East African Economic Community". Crwflags.com. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  14. ↑ "– Born in anonymity". Ms.dk. Archived from the original on 16 June 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  15. ↑ East African trade zone off to creaky start, Christian Science Monitor, 9 March 2006
  16. ↑ We Celebrated at EAC Collapse, Says Njonjo.
  17. ↑ "History of the EAC". EAC. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  18. ↑ Aloo, Leonard Obura (2017), Ugirashebuja, Emmanuel; Ruhangisa, John Eudes; Ottervanger, Tom; Cuyvers, Armin (eds.), "Free Movement of Goods in the EAC", East African Community Law, Institutional, Substantive and Comparative EU Aspects, Brill, pp. 303–325, JSTOR   10.1163/j.ctt1w76vj2.23 , retrieved 21 February 2022
  19. 1 2 "Finally, EA nations agree to disagree on federation". The Citizen . 30 November 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  20. 1 2 "South Sudan: Big trading potential for EAC". IGIHE. 8 July 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  21. ↑ Mazimpaka, Magnus (8 July 2011). "South Sudan: Rwanda Hopeful of South's Strategic Link to North Africa". allAfrica. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  22. ↑ "Welcome South Sudan to EAC!". East African Business Week. 10 July 2011. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  23. ↑ "South Sudan to link to Kenya oil pipeline". Reuters. 6 July 2011. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  24. ↑ "South Sudan needs African neighbours to survive". DAWN. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  25. ↑ "South Sudan 'free to join the EAC'". The Citizen. 12 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
  26. ↑ Amos, Machel (17 September 2011). "South Sudan delays membership in regional bloc". Daily Nation. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  27. ↑ "South Sudan readies for EAC membership". Archived from the original on 21 October 2011.
  28. ↑ "Uganda says South Sudan likely to join EAC in 2014". Xinhua News Agency. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  29. ↑ "Ugandan MPs oppose South Sudan joining East African community". The Africa Report. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  30. ↑ "Tanzania warms up to South Sudan membership". The EastAfrican. 8 December 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  31. ↑ "EAC prepares to admit South Sudan". The EastAfrican. 11 May 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  32. ↑ "allAfrica.com: East Africa: EAC to Decide On South Sudan Admission by April 2014". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  33. ↑ "South Sudan defers EAC admission". The Observer. Observer Media Ltd. 5 May 2014. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  34. ↑ ""East Africa: South Sudan's Push to Join EAC Gains Momentum", The East African, reported by Fred Oluoch, 7 November 2015, reprinted at allAfrica.com, accessed 14 November 2015".
  35. ↑ "South Sudan admitted into EAC". Daily Nation. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  36. ↑ "Communiqué: signing ceremony of the treaty of accession of the Republic of South Sudan into the East African Community". East African Community. 15 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  37. ↑ "Germany Ambassador pays courtesy call on EAC Secretary General". East African Community. 9 May 2016. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  38. ↑ "Republic of South Sudan deposits Instruments of Ratification on the accession of the Treaty for the establishment of the East African Community to the Secretary General". East African Community. 5 September 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  39. ↑ "DR Congo seeks to join EAC". The East African. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  40. ↑ Kuteesa, Hudson (11 August 2021). "East Africa: Report on DR Congo Admission to EAC AwaitsMinisterial Decision". allAfrica. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  41. ↑ "EAC Council of Ministers green-light Report on DRC Verification Mission for consideration by EAC Heads of State".
  42. ↑ "Democratic Republic of Congo inches closer to joining EAC". East African Community. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  43. ↑ "DR Congo to join EAC next week". The East African. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  44. ↑ Luke Amani (29 March 2022). "DR Congo joins East African bloc". The EastAfrican . Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  45. ↑ "Somalia applies to join EAC bloc » Capital News". Capital News. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  46. ↑ "Communiqué of the 14th ordinary summit of EAC heads of state". 2 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  47. ↑ "Not yet, S. Sudan and Somalia told by East Africa Community – Daily Nation". 11 February 2020. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  48. ↑ "Communiqué of the 22nd ordinary summit of the East African Community heads of state". eac.int. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  49. ↑ "Somalia set to join EAC this year, says Sec-Gen Mathuki". The East African. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  50. ↑ Vincent Owino (24 November 2023). "Somalia officially admitted into EAC". The EastAfrican. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  51. ↑ "East African Community continues on a trajectory of expansion as Summit admits Somalia into the bloc". East African Community. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  52. ↑ "Somalia Joins East Africa Trade Bloc". voanews.com. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  53. ↑ "Somali to sign Treaty of Accession with the East African Community today". East African Community. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  54. ↑ Bashir Mohamed Caato (29 November 2023). "Somalia has joined the EAC regional bloc. What happens next?". aljazeera.com.
  55. ↑ "Somalia close to formalise EAC membership". The East African. 12 February 2024.
  56. ↑ "Somalia Deposits Ratification Instrument With EAC SG". capitalfm.co.ke. 4 March 2024.
  57. 1 2 3 4 5 "World Economic Outlook database: April 2022". imf.org.
  58. ↑ https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/profile/SOM
  59. ↑ "Tshisekedi, Kagame to meet in Angola over Congo war". 6 July 2022.
  60. 1 2 "Uganda, Rwanda presidents agree ceasefire after Angola, Congo mediation". 22 August 2019.
  61. ↑ "In CAR, Rwandans lead East Africans in fight to keep a leader and nation alive". 15 March 2022.
  62. ↑ "Lapsset project adopted by AU in move to boost continent's free trade area". 5 July 2020.
  63. ↑ Aggrey Mutambo (8 July 2023). "Ruto woos Comoros to join EAC in quest for expanded bloc". The EastAfrican. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  64. ↑ "Rwanda's Kagame, DRC's Tshisekedi to hold talks in Angola". 4 July 2022.
  65. 1 2 Said, Mariam (5 October 2023). "Ethiopia, Djibouti to join EAC – Daily News" . Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  66. ↑ "Kenyatta's EAC agenda: Admit more countries to regional bloc". The East African. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  67. ↑ "Ethiopia Population (2022) – Worldometer". worldometers.info. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  68. ↑ "Kenya's Uhuru & Ethiopia's Abiy Open Moyale One-Stop Border Post – Taarifa Rwanda". 9 December 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  69. ↑ Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed speech at the new Lamu Port in Lamu County , retrieved 8 April 2022
  70. ↑ "Ethiopia to Open up its Banking Sector to Foreign Competition – Kenyan Wallstreet". 23 March 2022.
  71. ↑ "Daily Times | Malawi News | Sunday Times | The Weekend Times". The BNL Times. 11 March 2010. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  72. ↑ "Museveni proposes regional force to counter Mozambique terrorist threat". 2 May 2022.
  73. ↑ "Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi arrives in Uganda for official visit". 27 April 2022.
  74. ↑ Ihucha, Adam (18 September 2011). "EAC split on Khartoum's bid to join community". The East African. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  75. ↑ "Why Sudan's EAC application was rejected". 5 December 2011. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  76. 1 2 3 4 5 Kasaija Phillip Apuuli (1 June 2023), "A Search for Political Integration in East Africa Community (EAC)" (PDF), GGW Africa Symposia Issue, 1
  77. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 David Booth, Diana Cammack, Thomas Kibua and Josaphat Kwek (2007) East African integration: How can it contribute to East African development? Archived 23 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine Overseas Development Institute
  78. ↑ "Successes and Failures of the East African Community – The Best of Africa". The Best of Africa. 11 July 2017. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  79. ↑ Waigwa, Samson (29 April 2007). "Tanzania: Fast-Tracking Political Federation" – via AllAfrica.
  80. ↑ EAC federation fears justified? Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Tanzania's Daily News on Saturday; 5 May 2007
  81. ↑ Makabila, Stephen (8 May 2007). "Kenya: Tears for Mt Elgon As Schools Re-Open" – via AllAfrica.
  82. ↑ Kirunda, Kakaire A. (14 May 2007). "Uganda: Sabiny Demand Land As K'jong Raids Reduce" – via AllAfrica.
  83. ↑ Bruce Byiers; Poorva Karkare; Frederick Golooba-Mutebi; Bossissi Nkuba; Christelle Balegamire Karuta (April 2023), Security through market integration? The political economy of the DRC's accession to the EAC, The centre for Africa-Europe relations, p. 23
  84. ↑ "Removal of NTBs top priority for EAC". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2015. [PDF]
  85. ↑ Agritrade. "Final stage of EPA negotiations generating tensions between EAC members". CTA. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  86. ↑ Agritrade. "Launch of EAC–US TIP negotiations potentially complicated by other trade agreements". CTA. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  87. 1 2 "EA Market Protocol officially launched". Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. 1 July 2010. Archived from the original on 2 July 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  88. ↑ "Five East African Nations to Declare Common Market Tomorrow". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. 1 July 2010. Archived from the original on 16 April 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  89. 1 2 "Kenya fetes EAC Common Market with work permit fee waiver". Business Daily. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  90. ↑ Kagwe, Winfred (19 May 2011). "Kenya: Traders Say Common Market Yet to Benefit Them" – via AllAfrica.
  91. ↑ "What are the goodies in the EAC Common Market Protocol?". The Standard. 1 July 2010. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  92. 1 2 "Dawn of an era for East Africans". The Standard. 1 July 2010. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  93. ↑ Caroline Ntara (2023). "Political Leadership and Regional Integration: A Case of the East African Community Common Market". Journal of Management and Training for Industries. 10 (1): 1–20. doi: 10.12792/JMTI.10.1.1 . S2CID   258402691.
  94. ↑
  95. ↑ "La Communauté d'Afrique de l'Est prévoit l'émission d'une monnaie unique d'ici quatre ans". Agence Ecofin (in French). 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  96. ↑ "Single East African visa for tourists coming in November". Archived from the original on 31 May 2008.
  97. ↑ "East Africa geared for single tourist entry visa program". Archived from the original on 5 March 2009.
  98. ↑ Fran. "In 2014: a single East African visa for seamless traveling". Your African Safari. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  99. ↑ " "Uganda Tribes and Languages". Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.". Uganda Tribes and Languages
  100. ↑ " "Uganda Tribes and Languages". Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.". List of Uganda Tribes and Languages
  101. ↑ "The four national languages of DRC". Translators without Borders. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  102. ↑ "East African Community (EAC)". Africa-union.org. Archived from the original on 30 June 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  103. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ministers Sign Memorandum of Understanding". EAC News ... Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  104. 1 2 3 "Travelling in East Africa". Archived from the original on 11 May 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.