The 21st ordinary meeting of the Summit of the East African Community Heads of State is taking place virtually today Saturday, February 27, with consideration of the request by the DR Congo to join the six-member bloc high on agenda.
The latest Summit was preceded by a meeting of the Council of Ministers, which took place from February 22 to 25.
An EAC communique seen by Africa24.news states that among the items on the agenda of the 21st Summit are: consideration of the request by the DR Congo to join the EAC; and progress report on the verification exercise for admission of the Federal Republic of Somalia into the EAC. The strife-torn Horn of Africa nation submitted its application in February 2012.
Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi wrote a letter to the EAC Chairman, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda On June 8, 2019, expressing his country’s interest in joining the bloc.
Other agenda items for the Summit are progress report on the adoption of a consideration of a Summit directive to include French as an official language of the EAC, and; a report on the roadmap for the accelerated integration of South Sudan into the EAC.
The appointment of the new Secretary-General, progress report of the Council of Ministers for the period February 2019 to February 2021, and appointment of Judges to the East African Court of Justice are also other top agendas in the summit.
