By LUKE ANAMI
Somalia’s bid to join the East African Community seems to have come at the right time as the bloc also seeks expansion to include nearly everyone in the Horn of Africa. More than a decade since Mogadishu first filed interest, all indications are that Somalia could be the eighth member of the bloc by end of the year.
That has raised criticism as well, with some quarters terming the pace “too fast” (Somalia resubmitted the bid late last year) for a country still at war with itself and several other governance problems.
The EAC says it will not stop at Somalia and wants to have as many as 10 members by 2025, at the earliest, or before the close of the decade. This, officials say, will help countries in the region apply the rules of trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement without worrying about concentric bloc memberships.
After Somalia, three more countries are expected to begin the admission process. They are all in the Horn. Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea have been touted as possible candidates.
But while the desire is to encourage all countries in the neighbourhood to belong to one organisation, critics say the bloc is ignoring its basic principles.
Under Article 3 of the EAC Treaty, the criteria for the admission of new countries into the community include: Acceptance of the community as set out in the Treaty; adherence to universally acceptable principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice.
There are growing concerns that instead of strengthening and increasing intra-trade, the admission of the latest EAC partner states including South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and now Somalia is slowing down the integration process due to internal conflict in their respective countries.
