The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has officially been admitted to the East African Community (EAC).
“HISTORY IS MADE!
EAC Heads of State OFFICIALLY admit the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) into the East African Community.
H.E Uhuru Kenyatta, Chair of the Summit of EAC Heads of States announces during the 19th Extra-Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State
#WelcomeDRC,” a tweet from the EAC says.
The admission of DRC means that the community now has 7 members namely Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and now DRC.
Ugandan enterprises urged to explore regional oil and gas opportunitiesThe EAC was founded in 1967, collapsed in 1977, and was revived on 7 July 2000.
In 2008, after negotiations with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the EAC agreed to an expanded free trade area including the member states of all three organizations. The EAC is an integral part of the African Economic Community.
The capital of the EAC is Arusha, Tanzania.
The EAC is a potential precursor to the establishment of East African Federation, a proposed federation of its members into a single sovereign state. In 2010, the EAC launched its own common market for goods, labour, and capital within the region, with the goal of creating a common currency and eventually a full political federation. In 2013, a protocol was signed outlining their plans for launching a monetary union within 10 years. In September 2018 a committee was formed to begin the process of drafting a regional constitution
