The DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi on Friday, April 8, signed the Treaty of accession by his country to the East African Community (EAC).
This was done at a ceremony that took place in Nairobi, Kenya. His host and Chairperson of EAC Heads of State summit, President Uhuru Kenyatta, as well as Rwandan and Uganda Presidents Yoweri Mugabe and Paul Kagame, were present.
The DR Congo became the seventh member of the Community on March 29 when the EAC Heads of State, during their 19th Ordinary Summit, admitted it. President Kenyatta stated that he was looking forward to the DR Congo signing a Treaty of Accession before April 14.
Kenyatta reiterated that DR Congo’s admission “will strengthen our economic muscle and competitiveness in the continent as well as globally.”
He added: “To my brother and friend President Tshisekedi and to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we welcome you to the East African Community Customs Union and the East African Community Common Market.
President Kagame was present at the signing ceremony hosted President Uhuru Kenya. Also present were President Museveni (who has just signed the treaty granting the DRC membership as 7th member) and President Tshisekedi (who attended). @jumuiya. pic.twitter.com/HJplPqBRTv
— Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) April 8, 2022
These two are the signature pillars of our community and the foundation upon which the social, political, trade, investment and economic interests stand.”
Tshisekedi’s accession signature immediately brought the DR Congo into the realms and provisions of all the protocols and regional policies of the EAC.
“It will be followed by the immediate removal of all existing non-tariff barriers as well as limitations on the movement of capital, goods, services, and people. This will, in time, lead to a major increase in intra- East African Community trade,” Kenyatta added.
Kenyatta stated that the DR Congo must honor the made commitments. He appealed for the DR Congo’s assistance in completing the remaining domestic processes and putting the instruments of ratification into the bank within the six-month deadline.
“Our community is people centered and private sector driven. Member states of the East African Community remain committed to advancing and promoting the private sector’s interests as provided under article 127 of our Treaty. Furthermore, partner states have committed to stimulating market development through infrastructural linkages, promoting conducive investment codes, protecting property rights and other rights, and the proper regulation of our private sector,” Kenyatta said.
To this end, he said, all partner states will welcome and establish immediate linkages “between our business associations” and those of the DR Congo so as to further develop trade relations in the region.
Tshisekedi said that his country will continue to play its role in the bloc, so that it can grow stronger and more prosperous.
The Congolese President declared his interest in the establishment of a new institution to manage natural resource within the bloc.
He stated that its role would be limited in research and management, as well as optimizing the environment for natural resources in the region.
Museveni said that “when we talk of integration, we are talking of three things” including prosperity and strategic security.
Kagame on his part said the leaders have made many speeches in the past and therefore noted that they “just have to get down to do the work that is entailed in the statements we have made to our people.”
“And I am with you all the way to achieving the objectives of the deeper and wider integration of our community,” Kagame said.
What’s next?
DR Congo now has until September 29 to complete internal and constitution processes to ratify EAC Treaty, submit to Peter Mathuki, EAC Secretary General, and then join all programs and activities of the bloc.
Regional leaders earlier directed the Council of Ministers to develop a road map for DR Congo’s full integration into the bloc.
Mathuki announced Friday that the EAC Secretariat and the DR Congo are going to develop the road map.
This road map will be presented at the next EAC Summit. An exact date has not been set.
EAC ministers as well as technical experts will work quickly to integrate DR Congo into the bloc’s organs. This includes the East African Court of Justice, East African Legislative Assembly and sectoral committees dealing with essential issues such security, finance, trade and industry, and international cooperation.
The process to admit Kinshasa started when Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on June 8, 2019, wrote to then EAC Chairperson, President Paul Kagame, expressing his country’s wish to be a member of the bloc.
Regional leaders on February 27, 2021 considered the application by DR Congo to join the Community and directed Ministers to expeditiously undertake a verification mission in accordance with the EAC procedure for admission of new members.
By becoming the seventh member, the DR Congo is expected to bolster the bloc’s economic potentialthrough various ways including opening the corridor from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, as well as North to South, hence expanding the economic potential of the region.
Kenya’s Permanent Secretary for EAC affairs, Kevit Desai, who chairs the bloc’s Principal and Permanent Secretaries coordination committee, sees DR Congo’s entry as “a game-changer to the bloc’s trade performance given its natural resources base and a huge consumer market” of nearly 90 million people, almost half the population of the EAC.
The bloc’s new member is, among other things, the world’s biggest producer of cobalt, a major component in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, and Africa’s main copper producer. It is a major country that produces gold, diamonds as well as uranium and coltan. It is also one of the richest countries in terms of precious metals.
According to Desai, these resources, coupled with appropriate transport infrastructure, can boost the EAC’s industrialisation agenda, given also that DR Congo share borders with five of the six EAC countries – Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, South Sudan and Tanzania.
jkaruhanga@newtimesrwanda.com
Source: rnewtimes
