Somalia seeks EAC membership

The Republic of Somalia has placed an official request to be admitted to the East African Community.

The request was Tuesday made in a letter to Kenya's President President Mwai Kibaki, who is the current chairman of EAC.

The letter was delivered to Kenya's Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang'ula by Mr Abdi Hakim Ali Yasin, the Special Envoy of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government President Sheikh Shariff.

Receiving the letter, Mr Wetang'ula assured the people of Somalia that the request would be considered by the necessary EAC organs and forwarded to the Summit during its next meeting.

The request follows key developments in Somalia that have seen the country begin the journey to stability and peace after several years of civil strife.

Source: Africa Review - Somalia seeks EAC membership

My take: Somalia should not be admitted into the EAC just yet. In my view Somalia has to sort it's issues before being allowed to join the EAC. Also I think admitting a new member at this time will just set back the organization. Admitting any country at the moment might be a problem but admitting Somalia? That can be an even bigger problem.

MwanaFalsafa1 said:

The Republic of Somalia has placed an official request to be admitted to the East African Community.

The request was Tuesday made in a letter to Kenya's President President Mwai Kibaki, who is the current chairman of EAC.

The letter was delivered to Kenya's Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang'ula by Mr Abdi Hakim Ali Yasin, the Special Envoy of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government President Sheikh Shariff.

Receiving the letter, Mr Wetang'ula assured the people of Somalia that the request would be considered by the necessary EAC organs and forwarded to the Summit during its next meeting.

The request follows key developments in Somalia that have seen the country begin the journey to stability and peace after several years of civil strife.

Source: Africa Review*- Somalia seeks EAC membership

My take: Somalia should not be admitted into the EAC just yet. In my view Somalia has to sort it's issues before being allowed to join the EAC. Also I think admitting a new member at this time will just set back the organization. Admitting any country at the moment might be a problem but admitting Somalia? That can be an even bigger problem.

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Why should Somalia not be included in the EAC? Is Peace and stability the motivating factor we can talk about while successive governents have shown lack of commitment at least to effect the changes that can ensure economic independence and growth? We have witnessed before very stable neighbours that have had peace since independence, but have been unable to make their natural resources stir economic growth whose effect would trickle down to create prosperity for all its people. Rwanda on the other part is doing wonders with her economy, the fastest economic growth rate in the region having recovered from effects of a nearly political debacle in less than two decades ago.

The driving force of EAC should be centred on economic value and not be laced with suspicions and political propaganda. Somalia other than being labed as quarrelsome and brutal, have people among their populace who have demonstrated to have great skills as businessmen and investors. It is this aspect that is needed as a foundation to ensure consistent growth of their economy.

My take:
While Eritrea, and Democratic Republic of Congo are the latest applicants for membership of the EAC, Somalia should not be left out. Somalia has large deposits of oil discovered by a Canadian firm, natural gas and huge uranium deposits, while the DRC has been endowed with massive mineral deposits. Therefore, His excellency the Chairman of EAC should consider their application

I concur with you both in anticipation that this will boost the region economically and Somalia particularly thus finding lasting peace will be a priority to the Somali.

..Somalis have to prove that they can live in peace, and govern themselves, before they r admitted to the EAC.

they must also learn swahili and south sudan too hatutaki upuzi

Nairoberry said:

they must also learn swahili and south sudan too hatutaki upuzi

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Nairoberry,

..They should learn English, bcuz it is the official language of the EAC.

..If any one wants to progress in EAC then they must learn and master the English language.

NB:

..huku Tanzania viongozi walikuwa wanahimiza watoto kujifunza kiswahili shuleni halafu wao wanapeleka watoto wao kusoma kwa kiingereza Kenya na Uganda!!

JokaKuu said:

Nairoberry,

..They should learn English, bcuz it is the official language of the EAC.

..If any one wants to progress in EAC then they must learn and master the English language.

NB:

..huku Tanzania viongozi walikuwa wanahimiza watoto kujifunza kiswahili shuleni halafu wao wanapeleka watoto wao kusoma kwa kiingereza Kenya na Uganda!!

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hahahahaha....aisee you hate your leadership with a passion. Anyway its a common practise on all dev countries inclusive of kenya but that was sometime back. currently u can share a class with a ministers daughter and its totally normal.
Somalis are better off knowing English for documentation purposes. Swahili can be taught as an EAC mark of recognition.

hapana kiswahili should be the official language of EAC Somalis and sudan must learn it no compromise

livefire said:

hahahahaha....aisee you hate your leadership with a passion. Anyway its a common practise on all dev countries inclusive of kenya but that was sometime back. currently u can share a class with a ministers daughter and its totally normal.
Somalis are better off knowing English for documentation purposes. Swahili can be taught as an EAC mark of
recognition.

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Livefire,

..tell me why Tanzanians should not despise the leadership that we have.

..tell me what was their rationale when they signed on to the idea of according English, and not Swahili, the status of being the official language of EAC.

..now, Tanzanians were not informed of that decision. Personally, I knew about that when the Burundi application to have French as one of official languages in EAC was turned down. Burundi was advised that the best they can get is French to be accorded the status of a "lingua-franca" like Swahili!!!

..now to rub salt[in our case would be pepper] in the wound, wizara ya elimu ya Tanzania, inafikiria kufundisha Kiswahili frm primary school all the way to University. They r contempaleting sending a bill to the parliament!!!

JokaKuu said:

Livefire,

..tell me why Tanzanians should not despise the leadership that we have.

..tell me what was their rationale when they signed on to the idea of according English, and not Swahili, the status of being the official language of EAC.

..now, Tanzanians were not informed of that decision. Personally, I knew about that when the Burundi application to have French as one of official languages in EAC was turned down. Burundi was advised that the best they can get is French to be accorded the status of a "lingua-franca" like Swahili!!!

..now to rub salt[in our case would be pepper] in the wound, wizara ya elimu ya Tanzania, inafikiria kufundisha Kiswahili frm primary school all the way to University. They r contempaleting sending a bill to the parliament!!!

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tz as a country know whats ailing her, u only need to stand up for senses sake. Am not against swahili culture but best HR practise to be concise INCOTERM's for instance in international trade do so in English. Kenya benchmarks for instance best procurement practises with US or Britain, imagine trying to decode everything to swahili for cultures sake? It will lead to distortion and will necessitate a further expense to reeducate the expertise of the workforce which raises the question again, who trades in swahili world over? As an economic hub, kenya has no business on forcing swahili on anyone past 'O' levels. the bill is a grave mistake and should not see the day of light unless we as africans first establish our economies to a point that we can comfortably redesign best accepted commerce practises. Swahilil however should be guarded to retain the unique print of this block.

livefire said:

tz as a country know whats ailing her, u only need to stand up for senses sake. Am not against swahili culture but best HR practise to be concise INCOTERM's for instance in international trade do so in English. Kenya benchmarks for instance best procurement practises with US or Britain, imagine trying to decode everything to swahili for cultures sake? It will lead to distortion and will necessitate a further expense to reeducate the expertise of the workforce which raises the question again, who trades in swahili world over? As an economic hub, kenya has no business on forcing swahili on anyone past 'O' levels. the bill is a grave mistake and should not see the day of light unless we as africans first establish our economies to a point that we can comfortably redesign best accepted commerce practises. Swahilil however should be guarded to retain the unique print of this block.

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The "light of day" and NOT the "day of light"

Mwisho ile Afrika Mashariki na kati( Malawi,Zimbabwe,Sudani,Somalia,Zambia) tuliyokuwa tukiiona kupitia soka itarudi na kuwa nchi moja.

KALABASH said:

The "light of day" and NOT the "day of light"

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haha, sawa calabash.

Malila said:

Mwisho ile Afrika Mashariki na kati( Malawi,Zimbabwe,Sudani,Somalia,Zambia) tuliyokuwa tukiiona kupitia soka itarudi na kuwa nchi moja.

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Sijuiii !!!! Labda !!! Kwani wewe hujui kama tumelazimishwa na Marekani na mahabithi wenzake kwamba ni lazima tuwabague waSudan ya Kaskazini kwasababu wao ni waislamu? Tumeambiwa tuwa-consider kwamba wao ni waArabu na sio waAfrika?

Isitoshe viongozi wenye upeo wa kina na fikra madhubuti wako wapi?? hawajui hata Jiografia rahisi tu, ni sawa kwao kuiingiza Haiti katika AU (African Union) kuliko kuingiza Sudan ya Kaskazini katika EAC, jiulize kwanini ? Huoni uvundo huo !!!. Huyu wa kwetu yeye ndio kabisaaaaa, yeye bora CCM yake kuliko nchi ya Tanzania na wananchi wake wote, nchi ikiendelea kuporomoka na kuibiwa kama haina mwenyewe yeye haoni tatizo wala tahadhari wala moyo haumpigi alimradi tu CCM inastawi kwa ufisadi, no problem.

Unaloliota ni sawa na ni zuri na tunaweza vile vile, kutokana na rasilimali Mola alizotujaalia, kuwa bora kuliko hawa viburi kama tutaaamua, hasa viongozi wetu, ku-change fikira zetu, ku-act kwa mujibu wa fikira hizo, na kuchukua ustahamilivu na kutopoteza mwelekeo wakati wa ugumu wa utekelezaji na njama za viburi waroho waMagharibi.

Siosawa kwa sasa. Ningeshahuri EAC iwe stronger kabla ya kupokea members wengine.
Kenya na Uganda ziko vitani, Burundi sio safe kiivo, sasa Somalia?
Wampe masharti ya 5 years integration plan kwanza, 1st condition ikiwa stability.

Kama kuna kosa ambalo Tanzania imefanya na inaendelea kufanya kupitia ile Wizara yake ya EAC ni kushindwa kuzishawishi Congo DRC, Zambia na Malawi kujiunga na Jumuiya hii. Kenya amelibaini hili na anapigana kuhakikisha anakuwa 'junction corridors' na hivyo kupata support ya ku-diverge resources Kenya na kuifanya Kenya kuwa EAC trade hub na gateway through MSA na Lamu ports! Where are u Sitta and ur PS?

Mwali said:

Siosawa kwa sasa. Ningeshahuri EAC iwe stronger kabla ya kupokea members wengine.
Kenya na Uganda ziko vitani, Burundi sio safe kiivo, sasa Somalia?
Wampe masharti ya 5 years integration plan kwanza, 1st condition ikiwa stability.

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Siku zote mmekuwa mko safe tangu EAC kuvunjika na hali ni ile ile tu! kulalama kuhusu wakenya, sasa tutakuwa weaker vipi eti majeshi yako katika shughuli.