INTRODUCTION

The East African Community (EAC) is a Regional Intergovernmental Organization of 7 Partner States: The Republics of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of South Sudan, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the Republic of Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

The EAC is home to 300 million people, of which over 22% is urban population, with a land area of 4.8 million square kilometers and a combined Gross Domestic Product of US$ 240 billion (EAC Statistics for 2019). Its realization bears great strategic and geopolitical significance and prospects for the renewed and reinvigorated East African Community.

The work of the EAC is guided by its Treaty which established the Community. It was signed on 30 November 1999 and entered into force on 7 July 2000 following its ratification by the original three Partner States - Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

In 1996, Rwanda showed interest to join the East African Community and officially joined the EAC in 2007. The Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Burundi acceded to the EAC Treaty on 18 June 2007 and became full Members of the Community with effect from 1 July 2007. The Republic of South Sudan acceded to the Treaty on 15 April 2016 and became a full Member on 15 August 2016, whereas the Democratic Republic of Congo became full member on 8 April 2022.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The East African Community aims at widening and deepening co-operation among the Partner States in, among others, political, economic and social fields for their mutual benefit. To this extent the EAC countries established a Customs Union in 2005 a Common Market by 2010, a Monetary Union Protocol was signed in 2013 and ultimately a Political Federation of the East African Community Partners States.

Enlargement of the Community

The realization of a large regional economic bloc encompassing Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo with a combined population of more than 284.8 million people, land area of 4.8 million sq. kilometres and a combined Gross Domestic Product per capita of $ 769 (2014), bears great strategic and geopolitical significance and prospects of a renewed and reinvigorated East African Community.

Rwanda and DRC are strategic trading partners as the latter is Rwanda’s leading destination of informal exports as it receives 86 percent of all the informal goods. In 2019, Rwanda exported goods worth $372 million to DRC which constitute 32 percent of all Rwanda's total exports.

REFERENCE:

• MININFRA
• EAC

Current status

The regional integration process is at a high pitch at the moment. The encouraging progress of the East African Customs Union, Common Market, signing of Monitory Union Protocols, initiatives to fast-track EAC integration as well as the consultations on fast tracking the process towards East African Federation, all underscore the serious determination of the East African leadership and citizens to construct a powerful and sustainable East African economic and political bloc.

For more information visit: www.eac.int