East African Community in bad shape – African issues

On June 7, the East African Community held its 23rd Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State of its member states. The East African Community is a regional organization that brings together East African countries, namely Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, as well as Central African countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan, and finally the country of Somalia, located in the Horn of Africa. As is clear from the formation of the organization, we will find that it is composed of different countries, and at the same time very fragile, such as Somalia, and countries that have not had peace since their birth, such as the Democratic Republic of Somalia. It also includes Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.

The group is therefore facing challenges, one of which is related to one of its newest members, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which did not attend the summit on June 7, a very important one. Why? The summit was supposed to appoint Veronica Mwinyi Ndova from Kenya as the new Secretary-General of the organization. The fact that Kinshasa did not attend the summit and did not bother to apologize suggests that it is unhappy with its membership in the East African Community and may want to withdraw!

But this is not the only problem facing the East African Community. Kenyan President Ruto seems to have abandoned the African discourse before and even after his election. Not to mention the economic situation in the region, where debt and budget deficits are drowning the region. It seems that they all rely on foreign aid, which only leads to expanding and encouraging foreign interference in their affairs, thereby depriving the region of the opportunity to build internal development. It can be said that almost all countries in the East African Community are mired in internal security crises, threatening not only their own security but also the security of all their neighbors. There are also differences in the region, and these differences include not only language, but also culture, religion, social needs, and even political ambitions.

Some EAC member states are also members of other African regional organizations, which does not fully suit the needs of the EAC. Countries such as Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are members of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), while Tanzania is also a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Somalia are also members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Somalia is the newest member to join the EAC and is also a member of the Arab League, whose goals are significantly different from those of the EAC. So we wonder, will Somalia abandon the Arab League or the EAC? In the future, Somalia must make a decision because the two organizations have huge differences in culture, expectations and ambitions.

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Some EAC member states are causing problems for other members. Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi are all involved in civil unrest, mineral extraction and smuggling in the DRC, which highlights why the DRC is uneasy about the organization. Kenya and Uganda are also involved in peacekeeping operations in Somalia, but actually for other nefarious reasons, including keeping Somalia unbalanced, unstable and vulnerable. Not to mention Kenya’s ambitions in the sea off Somalia and its southern region. The EAC as a diverse group of countries does not have a leading, dominant or leading country in terms of military security, economy or even a prominent leader. Therefore, the fate of the organization is predictable. The DRC and Somalia may be the first countries to leave the organization. The organization seems to have made the mistake of expanding over the years and bringing together countries like Somalia and the DRC that have little in common, and are as far apart as two continents.

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In short, despite the long-standing promise of the East African Community countries forming a federal union, the growing security issues within the group, terrorist groups, and political immaturity among politicians in many countries have contributed to the region’s fragility. They do have ideas about the region and its governance mechanisms, but they are few, which makes it an elite organization.

Suleiman and the Sharp Man

Eurasia Review

Translated by: Yasmin Abdul Latif

original: https://bit.ly/3RIaipc