Summary:

• Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Uganda for the East African Community summit, marking Somalia’s official admission as the eighth member and expanding the regional trade bloc’s market to over 300 million people, with Somalia contributing its significant coastline to the bloc.

On Thursday evening, Somalia’s President, H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, arrived in Uganda to participate in the East African Community (EAC) summit scheduled for December 15, 2023, at State House, Entebbe.

Upon landing at Entebbe International Airport, President Mohamud was warmly welcomed by Uganda’s Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Jacob Oboth Oboth, Brig Gen. Julius Bagonza of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Director of Personnel and Administration, and Mr. Samuel Akena, Deputy Commissioner General of Uganda Prisons Service. Somalia’s Charge de Affairs, Mr. Abdilatif Ali, was also present to receive H.E Mohamud.

Somalia, now the eighth member, has been officially admitted into the regional trade bloc. This move aims to foster free trade expansion across the region. The existing members include Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The upcoming summit, presided over by EAC Chairperson President Salva Kiir, is set to witness Somalia signing the EAC treaty of Accession. The inclusion of this Horn of Africa nation, despite its fragility, with a population of 17 million, is expected to significantly enhance the EAC market, encompassing more than 300 million people.

Moreover, Somalia’s extensive coastline, the longest among mainland African countries, will contribute over 3,000 kilometers (1,800 miles) of shoreline to the bloc. This addition will extend the EAC’s reach from the Atlantic through the Indian Ocean to the Gulf of Aden.