East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 25th January,2023: The East African Community (EAC) today officially launched the verification mission to assess the Federal Republic of Somalia’s readiness to join the Community.
The verification team comprising of experts from the EAC Partner States shall be in Somalia from 25th January to 3rd February, 2023, to establish the country’s level of conformity with the criteria for admitting foreign countries as provided in the Treaty for the establishment of the EAC.
Speaking during the official launch, EAC Secretary General Hon (Dr.) Peter Mathuki disclosed that the technical team in Mogadishu will engage Somalia to ensure that the verification was finalized and a report completed in time in readiness for presentation to the EAC Council of Ministers who will table it for consideration by the 23rd Summit of EAC Heads of State scheduled for the end of February 2023.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 19th January2023: African countries have been asked to provide investment incentives to businesses operating in the agribusiness, green and blue economy in order to reduce the soaring costs of basic foodstuffs coupled with rising inflation in Africa.
African Governments have further been urged to facilitate access to capital and crowd-funding to support SMEs in Africa, through the use of Government Guarantee Funds (GGFs) and Privately Driven Guarantee Funds (PDGFs) including subsidizing agricultural production for key sectors such as cereals, vegetable, and palm oil to reduce the costs of production to enhance global competitiveness.
The Former President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, in his capacity as the Facilitator of the East African Community (EAC), Led- Nairobi Process on restoration of peace in the Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), had the occasion to meet with the chairman and senior political & military leaders of the M-23 group, in order to seek to restore peace in Eastern (DRC).
In a demonstration of goodwill and the willingness to work towards the settlement of the situation in North Kivu, the M-23 leaders agreed to continue with an orderly withdrawal and to adhere to a strict cease-fire. They further agreed to continue to respect and cooperate with the East African Regional Force (EARF) that has now begun to take control of the areas vacated by the M-23; a process that is in adherence to the decision of the extraordinary meeting of the EAC Chiefs of General Staff held in Bujumbura on 8'h November 2022.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 12th January, 2023: Intra-regional trade within the East African Community (EAC) is on an upward trajectory, standing at US$10.17 billion in September 2022.
The intra-EAC trade, accounting for imports and exports in the 7 EAC Partner States, grew from 13% in 2019 at a value of $ 7.1 billion to 15 % in 2021 at a value of $9.5 billion. By September 2022, the EAC trade value was recorded at $10.17 billion representing a 20% share of Intra-trade to global trade.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 18th December, 2022: East African Community (EAC) Partner States have been called upon to seek local solutions to the huge gap in financing facing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the region.
Uganda’s Minister of State for EAC Affairs, Hon. James Magode Ikuya, further urged the Partner States to address the twin issues of limited skills for production and poor standards and quality of products among others.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 17th December,2022: The World Bank has earmarked about US$15 million to enhance and accelerate regional digital integration efforts across the East African Community (EAC).
The Bank through its Single Digital Market (SDM) initiative aims at supporting the region to become a more deeply integrated and dynamic digital investment, innovation, and growth hub.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 15th December, 2022: The Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), Hon. Dr. Peter Mutuku Mathuki has said that the recently EAC Council of Ministers approved regional bioeconomy strategy will be a key factor to promoting food security and sustainable agriculture in the region.
Dr. Mathuki said that the bioeconomy strategy – the first of its kind in Africa and the second in the world after that of the European Union – willincrease opportunities for the EAC Partner States to deepen their cooperation in developing a sustainable and resilient bioeconomy.
“Through the strategy, EAC Partner States will scale-up their bio-innovations, share scientific knowledge, and harmonise policies, standards, and regulations for bio-manufacturing and regional trade,” said Dr. Mathuki.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 12th December, 2022: The seven (7) East African Community (EAC) Partner States have been urged to hasten integration to create a bigger market for businesses in the region.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said that East Africa’s small, disintegrated economies can do so little in terms of trade and investment, adding that Partner States need to integrate as a matter of survival to create bigger markets.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 6th December, 2022: The French Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Nabil Hahjlaoui, pledged his country’s commitment to support EAC-Led Nairobi Process, on restoration of peace and security in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
H.E. Hahjlaoui made the disclosure when he met with the Secretary General of the EAC, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki, who paid a courtesy call on him at his residence in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Amb. Hahjlaoui reiterated his country’s commitment to use its experience and help in any way necessary to bring peace back in Eastern DRC.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 3rdDecember, 2022: The EAC Secretary General Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki has handed over laboratory equipment and consumables to the Focal Points of the EAC Affairs Ministries on behalf of National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) in the Partner States under an EAC-GIZ project called “Improvement of Regional Trade with Seed Potatoes in Eastern Africa.”
The aim of the project is to provide framework conditions for the development of trade in seed potatoes through support to development of regional strategies and action plans, capacity development of NPPOs in SPS measure as well as development and harmonization of regional seed potato standards.
