DR Congo formally joins East African Community by signing accession treaty

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - The Democratic Republic of Congo formally joined the East African Community (EAC) by signing the treaty of accession on Friday.

EAC Chairman Uhuru Kenyatta, who is also president of Kenya, and DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi signed the EAC treaty of accession in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The signing of the treaty follows the admission of DR Congo into the EAC as the seventh member of the regional bloc during a virtual extraordinary summit of EAC heads of state chaired by President Kenyatta on March 29.

Welcoming DR Congo into the bloc which includes Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan, Kenyatta said the entry will open doors of opportunity for expanded trade and cooperation.

“With the accession of the DRC, our community's population now stands at about 300 million and our combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will now stand at $250 billion,” he said.

“We welcome you to the EAC Customs Union and the EAC Common Market. These two are the signature pillars of our community and the foundation upon which the social, political, trade, investment, and economic interests stand,” Kenyatta added.

Other East African leaders present at the ceremony included Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame.

Tshishekedi, for his part, said the admission of DR Congo into the EAC was a fulfillment of dreams held by his country’s ancestors for over 60 years.

“DR Congo will actively play its role within the community so that it can become stronger and more prosperous,” he said.

The EAC heads of state also witnessed the unveiling of the new map of the East African Community.

Somalia has also applied to join the bloc but its application was frozen due to instability in the country.