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DR Congo joins The East African Community

The East African Community (EAC) Heads of State have approved the admission of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into the regional bloc.

East African Heads Of State

The admission of DRC into the EAC was endorsed by the Presidents of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and South Sudan during the18th extraordinary virtual summit of the EAC Heads of State.

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The summit was chaired by the President of Kenya and the EAC's chairman, Uhuru Kenyatta.

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, President Samia Hassan Suluhu of Tanzania attended the virtual summit, while the President of Burundi was represented by the Vice President Prosper Bazombanza and the President of South Sudan by South Sudan's Minister for EAC Affairs, Deng Alor Kuol.

Last month, the council of EAC ministers endorsed the admission of DRC into the regional bloc of six partner states, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.

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According to Article 3 (3) of the EAC Treaty, adherence to good governance, democracy, rule of law, observance of human rights, social justice and maintenance of a market-driven economy are some of the benchmarks for a country to be admitted into the EAC regional bloc.

However, the DRC has been marked by decades of war, violence, and poverty which have claimed the lives of over five million people.

DRC is also a country bedeviled by an absence of schools, health care, and reliable income-generating opportunities which ensure that DRC, the third largest country on the African continent, lurches from one crisis to another.

Geographical proximity to member states is the other crucial necessity for admission to the EAC

DRC shares a border with South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania through Lake Tangayinka.

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The admission of DRC to EAC comes with many benefits anchored on four pillars namely Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union and Political Federation.

These pillars will elevate the DRC into accessing a wider market with a combined population of over 160million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product of about US$170billion among other benefits.

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