DAR ES SALAAM — Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) have directed the EAC Council of Ministers to fast-track verification for admission of the Federal Republic of Somalia into the regional bloc.
A communique issued late Friday at the end of the 22nd Ordinary Summit of the EAC heads of state in Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha said the leaders noted that the verification for admission to Somalia had not been undertaken.
The EAC leaders directed the EAC Council of Ministers to expeditiously fast-track the verification in accordance with the EAC procedure for admission of new members into the EAC and report to the 23rd meeting of the summit, said the communique.
The 22nd ordinary summit of the EAC heads of state had a theme featuring Deepening Integration, Widening Cooperation. If admitted, the Federal Republic of Somalia will become the 8th member of the EAC after Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
The EAC leaders also received an update on the status of the inclusion of French and Swahili as official languages of the EAC in addition to English, said the communique.
