The East African Community could admit Somalia to the bloc this month, the organization's Secretary-General Peter Mathuki told a panel at the Africa Investment Forum.
"This November, we are likely to admit Somalia into the community [EAC]. That means now the coastline of the East African Community now goes almost for 5,000 kilometers stretching," he said.
The decision is expected to be made at the bloc's Ordinary Heads of State Summit, which will be held on November 23-24 in Tanzania's city of Arusha.
"The East African Community is one of the building blocks of the African Union, and it’s fast-growing. We have DR Congo [the Democratic Republic of the Congo] as the latest member, plus Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. That is a market of around 300 million people," the secretary-general added.
Furthermore, Mathuki underlined that the organization "looks forward to more expansion," noting that Ethiopia had expressed interest in becoming a part of the EAC.
"So, at the end of the day, we are looking at a market of close to 700 million people," he noted.
In addition, he emphasized that the EAC is "people-centered" and called the private sector "the engine of regional integration." According to Mathuki, the trade volume within the organization doubled over the past 10 years, from 10% to about 20%.
Since late August, the issue of Somalia accession to the EAC has been under discussion in the bloc, according to the organization's secretariat.
As for other African states likely to join the EAC, in July, the Comoros was invited to the organization by the Kenyan President William Ruto. Moreover, earlier, Ruto said that Ethiopia and Sudan are also "likely" candidates for the membership in the EAC.