Minister: Somalia Has Completed 25% of EAC Accession Requirements

Somalia, 20 January 2026 Somalia has completed 25 per cent of the requirements needed to fully integrate into the East African Community (EAC), its deputy foreign minister said, underscoring that accession to the regional bloc is a long and gradual process.

Ali Omar Ali, who is also the country’s representative to the EAC, said the remaining steps involve aligning national laws and systems with EAC standards, including regulations on passports, taxation, free movement of people and other frameworks critical to a common market.

“The progress made so far is between 25 and 26 per cent. There is still a long road ahead, but this is a normal process that all member states have gone through,” Ali said in an interview with Dawan Africa Media’s Miizaan Podcast.

He noted that EAC member states are at different stages of compliance, citing Kenya as the most advanced, with nearly 60 per cent of requirements completed.