The East African Community (EAC) Heads of State have admitted the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into the regional bloc becoming the seventh and newest member of the community after South Sudan.
DRC’s admission was approved at the 19th Extraordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State conducted virtually on Tuesday.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, the current chair of the bloc, welcomed DRC’s admission terming it momentous.
“Admission of the DRC marks a momentous occasion in the region’s integration history!”
Other member states including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, welcomed DRC and pledged to support its integration saying it is a sign of prosperity for all.
The proposal to admit DRC was presented by the EAC Council of Ministers which held the 48th Extraordinary Council meeting on Friday to put the final touches on the admission plan.
Following the ministers’ meeting, EAC and Regional Affairs Principal Secretary Dr. Kevit Desai said all the prerequisite steps had been undertaken to clear the way for the presentation of DRC’s bid to the Heads of State.
DRC now increases the bloc’s market population by about 50% to 280 million, and its geographic size now stretches from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean in West Africa.