ARUSHA, Tanzania
The East African Community Council of Ministers has
now approved the admission of the Democratic Republic of Congo into the
regional bloc.President Felix Tshisekedi
The approval follows negotiations held between the
EAC and the DRC from January 15th to 24th in
Nairobi.
The EAC Negotiations Team was led by Dr. Alice
Yalla, Integration Secretary at the Ministry of EAC and Regional development
and Prof Serge Tshibangu, special envoy of DRC President Felix Tshisekedi.
“As you are aware the DRC delegation was in Nairobi
in the last week of January 2021. The negotiations with the DRC have been
concluded and a negotiation framework matrix jointly adopted,” said Adan
Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary, EAC and Regional Development soon after an
Extra-ordinary Council meeting virtually on 8th February, 2022.
“We have now recommended to the summit to consider
admitting the DRC into the Community in accordance with Article 3 of the EAC
Treaty.”
The Council has now directed the EAC secretariat to
develop a draft roadmap for the integration of the DRC into the community and
submit it to the Council for consideration.
The DRC admission process was kicked off by an
application from the DRC in 2019 to join the EAC marking stage one of the
admission process.
At the 18th Extra Ordinary EAC
Heads of State summit virtual meeting held on 22nd December,
2021 and chaired by Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta; the six heads of state
directed the council of Minister’s to begin negotiations with the DRC in order
to pave the way for its admission to the EAC.
Last month, through their Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen’Apala, DRC
reaffirmed their willingness to join the EAC.
The procedure for admission entails a Verification
Exercise; negotiations with the DRC on their admission to the EAC directed by
Summit; Admission of the DRC; and deposition of the instrument of acceptance of
the terms of admission by the DRC within six (6) Months of her admission to the
Community.
The DRC will now await the EAC Heads of State summit
to be announced later this month.
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