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THE East African Community (EAC) approved Tuesday the admission of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) into the regional bloc, at the 19th Extraordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State conducted virtually.
“The EAC now spans from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean making the region competitive and easy to access the larger African Continental Free Trade Area,” said EAC secretary-general Peter Mutuku Mathuki.
“Rwanda supports the admission of the DRC into the region and stands ready to play its part in supporting the integration of the DRC into the EAC,” said Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the virtual conference.
“The Republic of Burundi openly welcomes the DRC into the EAC. Widening and deepening economic, political, social and cultural integration will improve the quality of lives and prosperity of the people of East Africa,” said Prosper Bazombanza, Vice President of Burundi.
“Admission of the DRC marks a momentous occasion in the region’s integration history,” said Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, also chairperson of the Summit of EAC Heads of State.
The DRC thus becomes the seventh and newest member of the community, which comprises Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan.
In June 2019, DRC had already expressed its willingness to join the organisation in a letter to Paul Kagame, then-current chair of the EAC Heads of State Summit. – Xinhua
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