The Democratic Republic of Congo is getting closer to joining the East African Community.
The Council of Ministers of the East African Community has been directed to commence and complete the process of admitting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the East African Community.
The Council of Ministers of the East African Community has been directed to commence and complete the process of admitting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the East African Community.
The instruction comes after the East African Community’s heads of state attended their virtual 18th Extraordinary Summit on Wednesday to discuss DRC’s application and other regional issues.
“Deepening Integration, Widening Cooperation” was the virtual subject of the summit.
All of East Africa’s leaders were in attendance, including President Museveni of Uganda, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Somalia (Tanzania)
Burundi was represented by Vice President Prosper Bazombanza, and South Sudan was represented by Deng Alor Kuol, Minister of East African Community Affairs.
The members announced in a communique put out after the meeting that they discussed the accession of DRC extensively and directed the Council of Ministers to complete it.
“The summit recalled that at its 21st ordinary meeting on February 27, it discussed the DRC’s application to join the East African Community and directed the council of ministers to expeditiously begin and conclude negotiations with the DRC for admission to the East African Community,” the members resolved.
During the 44th Extra-Ordinary Meeting on November 22, the EAC ministers in charge of East African Affairs proposed to the heads of state that the process of admitting the DRC to the EAC begin.
In the meeting, Tanzanian President Suluhu Hassan said that the DRC’s admittance to the East African Community “would be a new milestone in the integration.”
Tanzania, she said, is willing to work with the DRC and all EAC member nations to further integrate the region.