Somalia in the East African Community: opportunities and challenges

Somalia's EAC membership offers strategic and economic gains, but security threats, weak institutions and governance fragility pose integration challenges.

Somalia’s entry into the East African Community (EAC) presents both opportunities and challenges for the country and for the bloc. For the EAC, the rapid expansion presents economic prospects such as increased intra-regional trade, enhanced geopolitical influence, strengthened collective security and more coordinated regional responses to conflict. A crucial question, however, is how the EAC can capitalise on the prospects of Somalia’s entry into the bloc while managing the challenges that accompany it.

About the authors

Nicodemus Minde is a Researcher with the East Africa Peace, Security and Governance Project at the ISS in Nairobi.

Guyo Turi is a Research Officer with the East Africa Peace, Security and Governance Project at the ISS in Nairobi.