Somalia on Friday signed the Treaty of Accession to formally become the 8th member of the East African Community (EAC), three weeks after it was admitted at a leaders’ summit in Arusha, Tanzania.
The ceremony at state house Entebbe in Uganda saw Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and South Sudan President Salva Kiir, the current chairperson of EAC, ink their signatures on the document which was witnessed by Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni and EAC Secretary General, Peter Mutuku Mathuki.
Somalia joined the bloc on November 24 after the EAC Summit of Heads of State at their 23rd Ordinary Meeting held in Arusha, endorsed Mogadishu’s application. Signing the treaty now formally admits Somalia which will begin signing on various other protocols to fully see Somalia enjoy the benefits of being a member of the bloc.
Somalia will have up to six months to deposit instruments with the bloc secretariat in Arusha.
Source: The EastAfrican