Verification Mission to Assess Somalia’s Readiness to Join EAC Launched

The East African Community (EAC) on Wednesday unveiled the verification mission to assess Somalia’s readiness to join the Community.

According to a statement from EAC, the verification team comprises of experts from the EAC Partner States and they will be in Somalia from January 25 to February 3.

EAC Secretary-General, Dr. Peter Mathuki, said the team will engage Somalia to ensure that the verification is finalized and a report completed in readiness for presentation to the EAC Council of Ministers who will table it before the Summit of EAC Heads of State by end of Feb 2023.

“The verification team is set to make findings relating to the institutional frameworks in place; legal frameworks; policies, strategies, projects and programs; areas of Cooperation with other EAC Partner States and expectations from its membership,” Dr.Mathuki said.

Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affair & International Cooperation Abshir Omar and & Abdulsalam Omer, the special envoy of Somalia to EAC reiterated Somali’s keenness to join the bloc. 

The mission is chaired by Tiri Marie Rose from Burundi. Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in October 2022 urged the Community to fast-track his country’s admission into the Community.