{{Last week’s terror attack in Nairobi and unending anarchy in Somalia may put on hold the Horn of Africa country’s application to join the East African Community (EAC), analysts say.}}
Early this month the EAC Council of Ministers, which is the policy organ of the Community, gave a go-ahead to talks on the admission of Somalia, but things may get complicated with the deadly attack at a mall in Kenya’s capital.
“Somalia’s application to join the community will now be complicated,” hinted an outraged official of EAC who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not the official spokesperson of the regional body.
Efforts to reach out senior officials of EAC to comment on the issue were not successful although the secretary general, Dr Richard Sezibera, condemned the attack in a statement to the media early this week.
The strife-torn Somalia applied to join the bloc early last year through an official letter which was submitted on February 28 to the then EAC Heads of State Summit Chair, President Mwai Kibaki.
However, during the last Ordinary Summit of the regional leaders in Nairobi on November 30 last year, it was insisted that the country’s application to join EAC involve “wider consultations” given the security concerns there.
In considering the bid, the EA leaders were cognizant of transitional nature of governance in the Horn of Africa country which is under the Transitional Federal Government but still battling Al-Shabaab militants who claimed to have attacked the Nairobi mall.
During the latest EAC Council of Ministers meeting in Arusha, the ministers cautiously approved the verification programme for Somalia’s application to join the bloc. The programme was to kick off in December this year and extend to August next year.
Under the programme a verification committee composed of three experts from each of the five partner states — Tanzania Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda — would be established to undertake the exercise.
They will be joined by three experts from the EAC Secretariat. Each partner state was requested to submit the names of its officials who will participate in the verification process by October 31 this year.
If all went well, the exercise would be undertaken from next December and appropriate reports presented to the concerned EAC bodies for consideration between March and August next year.
The ministerial meeting urged the Mogadishu authorities to provide “appropriate security and protocol” to facilitate the team while undertaking the verification exercise in Somalia which is still prone to rebel attacks.
But with increasing attacks by Al-Shabaab in recent months and the bloody Westgate siege claimed by Somalia-based militants, a cloud of uncertainty could hang over the country’s application to join EAC.
“Terrorism cannot be justified by any reason and any reason to justify it is unacceptable” said Dr Sezibera in a terse statement on Monday.
He said EAC was ready to give any support deemed necessary to the Kenyan people in the wake of the horrific attack.
An Arusha-based businessman has proposed a multi-national anti-terror force from the region that would be deployed to fight the terror gangs now threatening the East African region.
Flags at the EAC headquarters in Arusha flew half-mast for three days until yesterday in solidarity with Kenya which started a three-day mourning of people killed during the four-day siege at the Westgate supermarket.
The employees of the community were preparing to donate money and other items which would be delivered to the victims of the suicide bombing which has sent shockwaves throughout the region.
The East African Business Council, an apex body of private sector associations in the region, has also expressed its profound shock and disbelief on the tragedy.
“We condemn this act of terrorism as cowardly and perpetrated by evil. Terrorism cannot be justified by any reason,” said the executive secretary of the council Mr Andrew Luzze. in a message to the Kenyan government.
EABC further stands in solidarity with the President and the People of the Republic of Kenya as the security forces work around the clock to contain the situation.
“We kindly request members of the Business Community to offer any possible support they can provide to support the victims and the security personnel currently the mall to ensure that calm is restored and the attack is neutralized. We wish to thank members who have already offered their support to the victims and the support groups.”, the message of condolence added.
Thecitizen
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