Wednesday June 19, 2024
By VINCENT OWINO
EAC Secretary-General Veronica Nduva. POOL
Somalia has deposited its roadmap of fully integrating into the East African Community, signalling an extra market for the region of close to 20 million people when the process is completed.
The roadmap presented on Monday in Nairobi specifies timelines within which the Horn of Africa country will implement the required policies and harmonise its laws to enable it to join the region’s customs union and common market protocols.
“Today’s meeting signifies a critical milestone in this journey, aligning Somalia’s national processes with regional frameworks to ensure comprehensive integration,” EAC Secretary-General Veronica Nduva said.
“The roadmap outlines essential activities categorised into national and community-oriented initiatives. These include aligning Somalia's legal framework with established regional standards and ensuring robust participation in EAC programmes and activities” she added.
While the actual timelines agreed in the meeting were not disclosed, the Somali delegation exuded confidence in their commitment to fully integrate into the community soon.
“We are dedicated to working closely with all stakeholders towards a brighter and more prosperous future for all EAC member states and their citizens,” said Abdusalam Omer, Somalia’s presidential envoy for EAC, who led talks into joining the bloc last year.
Only five of the eight member countries in the regional bloc have been able to fully integrate, meaning they can freely trade with one another after harmonising their laws.
Somalia was admitted into the bloc by the Heads of State Summit in November and became a full member in March this year after depositing its instruments of membership and assenting to the regional treaty.