In 2011 I worked as an Intern at the Ministry of East African Community. It was a great experience learning a lot about the structures of East African Community. At that time, there was a lot of hope on having in place the East African Cooperation (EAC) as a political federation using a common currency. Most of the experts were looking at the European Union as a role model.
In this article, I will highlight some of the important facts about the East African Cooperation (EAC). The area has a population of 146 million people living on an area of 1.82 million square kilometers. The block has a Gross Domestic Product of USD $147.5 billion as at 2015.
The regional body’s headquarters is based in Arusha, Tanzania. It was established in 1967 but dissolved in 1977. After several talks, the EAC was revived on 1st July, 2000. English is the official language of the East African Cooperation.
The youngest member state to join East African Cooperation is the Republic of South Sudan. She joined the East African Cooperation block on 15 April, 2016.
2 thoughts on “Facts About East African Cooperation (EAC)”
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With the current challenges assailing the European union , do you thing political union for the EAC is feasible bearing in mind the socioeconomic and political dynamics of the region?.
I know the challenges facing EU may influence the progress of EAC towards becoming a political federation. Despite that, EAC has to push on because it may be the first one to attain the political federation status. It is a wait and see.