The East African Community Heads of State are set to convene for the 19th Extra-Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State, set to take place virtually, on Tuesday, March 29, the bloc’s Secretariat announced Monday. As noted, the Summit is expected to consider the report of the Council of Ministers on the negotiations between the EAC and the DR Congo on admission of the latter into the EAC. The Extra-Ordinary Summit will be streamed live on the EAC website - www.eac.int alongside other EAC social media platforms. The Summit is preceded by the 48th extra-ordinary meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers, which took place earlier on March 25 to consider the provisional agenda and programme of the EAC Summit on admission of the DR Congo into the bloc. Nearly three years after making a formal application, in June 2019, the DR Congo could be officially admitted into the Community when an extraordinary Heads of State Summit convenes. Soon after the Summit on Tuesday, EAC Secretary General, Peter Mathuki, is expected to hold a virtual press conference to brief the media on issues. The process of DR Congo’s entry started when Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on June 8, 2019, wrote to then EAC Chairperson, President Paul Kagame, expressing his country’s wish to be a member of the bloc. Regional leaders on February 27, 2021 considered the application by DR Congo to join the Community and directed Ministers to expeditiously undertake a verification mission in accordance with the EAC procedure for admission of new members. When, on January 17, 2022, negotiations paving way for the vast country’s admission were launched in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, Kinshasa reaffirmed its willingness to be part of the bloc. During the January launch in Nairobi, DR Congo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen’Apala, said his country was looking forward to increased trade and investment, and strengthened relations with the EAC. A few weeks later, the report of the negotiations was presented to the Council of Ministers. The leaders are likely to usher in in country’s accession phase which literally concludes the admission process. The private sector has urged Heads of State to direct relevant government bodies to fast track the admission of the DR Congo. By become the seventh member, the DR Congo is expected to bolster the bloc’s economic potentialthrough various ways including opening the corridor from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, hence expanding the economic potential of the region. Four stages for DR Congo admission The procedure for admission of the DR Congo, or any other new member, entailed four stages. First was a verification exercise; then there were negotiations with the country on its admission to the EAC directed by Summit. Mid last year, a verification team was deployed in the country. It submitted its report to the Council of Ministers in December 2021. What follows now will be eventual official admission; and the ultimate deposition of the instrument of acceptance of the terms of admission by the country within six months of its admission. Earlier, Mathuki noted that DR Congo’s intention to join the Community was not by default since it shares borders with five partner states – Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan. The role of the negotiations with the DR Congo was to establish its readiness to comply with the set six criteria as stipulated under the EAC Treaty and the bloc’s procedure for admission. The six criteria include: acceptance of the Community as set out in the Treaty; adherence to universally acceptable principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice; potential contribution to the strengthening of integration within the region; geographical proximity to and inter-dependence between the foreign country and partner states; establishment and maintenance of a market driven economy; and social and economic policies being compatible with those of the bloc. The negotiations also took into account the country’s profile and established, among others, its level of compatibility with the EACs stages of development in trade liberalization and development; co-operation in investment and industrial development; coordination in monetary and financial matters; development of infrastructure and services; development of human resources; and the development of agriculture and natural resources.
