On August 19, 2023, The Citizen published an article titled, “Somalia to join East African Community [EAC] this year, says Secretary General.” This reflects the confidence and, apparently, the Secretary General’s hope that Somalia would join the EAC. On February 2, 2023, I published an op-ed piece warning that “admitting Somalia in the East African Community will be a mistake” (The Citizen). I continue to hold that opinion. It is an illusion to think that admitting Somalia into the EAC at this point would constitute progress towards integration in the East African region.
Proponents of Somalia’s admission into the EAC claim that “[t]here is a lot Somalia hopes to gain but also the region has a lot to gain from Somalia because of its connectivity to Middle East as well as the diaspora in Europe, America and everywhere.” However, they don’t explain why those gains cannot be realised now when Somalia is already a member of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), of which Kenya and Uganda are also members. On top of that, Somalia is also a member of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), of which all current members of the EAC are also members. What magic does the EAC have that would enable it to unleash the potential for increased trade with and through Somalia that cannot be realised already when Somalia and the current EAC members are, in effect, a “free trade area.”
