Browsing: EAC member states

President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi signing the treaty of accession at State House, Nairobi. This follows the admission of DR Congo into the EAC as the seventh member of the regional bloc. www.theexchange.africa

DRC boosts EAC’s population to 0.3 billion people

Countries

By strengthening East Africa’s historical ties, DRC’s accession to the community is vital. The accession of DRC will improve both economic and geopolitical ties inside the Community.

A total of five EAC Member States border the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan.

To that end, full membership in the EAC would benefit the people of DRC by allowing them visa-free travel to other EAC nations. In addition, the DRC will nominate nine members of the East African Legislative Assembly and justices to the East African Court of Justice, the Community’s judicial authority.

DRC’s eastern area, which relies heavily on the Dar es Salaam and Mombasa ports for its imports and exports, will benefit greatly from the country’s membership in the EAC, he said.

In terms of size, the DRC dwarfs all six EAC Partner States. DR Congo’s landmass is 2.4 million km2 in comparison …

Food security

EAC warned of looming dry season

East Africa

The agriculture sector in East Africa

Five East African Community member states have been warned of an impending dry season in the next three months.

According to a statement from the EAC Secretariat, while October to December is normally considered an important rainfall season for Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, this time round a drier than the normal season is expected in most parts of the EAC region.

The statement, however, points out that only western Uganda and the border area with South Sudan might see higher than normal rainfall according to the Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum that brings together the national meteorological and hydrological experts in the region. According to the Deputy Secretary-General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors in the EAC Secretariat, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo and the Partner States to take appropriate measures in time to mitigate possible threats to the citizens related …

EAC

Congo now wants a share of the East African Community EAC pie!

East African Community

East African Community, Last year in June 2019, Congo (DRC) applied for admission to join the East African Community (EAC).  

With a population of approximately 81 million people, Congo holds almost half of the population of the EAC member states and thus it presents a huge market. However, despite the country sharing its borders with five of EAC partner states South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania, EAC’s trade with the DRC is significantly low. In fact, the combined exports of all the East African Community partner states into the DRC, does not match that of South-Africa to the Congo. 

According to trade data, most of the imports from the DRC are sourced from China (31.2%), South Africa (15.8%), Zambia (13%), Belgium (5.4%) and India (5.3%). 

A report by the East African Business Council (EABC) in collaboration with GIZ Creating Perspectives Project dubbed, “The opportunities for trade

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