EAC: Introduction

This introductory report provides an overview of the East African Community (EAC), detailing its membership, economic profile, and the progress and challenges associated with its regional integration goals.

• The East African Community (EAC) is a regional economic community recognized by the African Union consisting of eight member states. The original members were Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, who ratified the EAC Treaty on 30 November 1999, with the treaty taking effect on 7 July 2000. Subsequent members include Rwanda and Burundi (July 2007), South Sudan (August 2016), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (April 2022), and Somalia, which joined after ratifying on 4 March 2024.
• As of 2023, the EAC has a combined GDP of US$296 billion, a population of 331 million, and covers 523 million hectares of land. The region possesses significant mineral wealth, particularly untapped copper and cobalt deposits in the DR Congo, as well as oil and natural gas discoveries in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.
• The EAC aims to achieve deep economic, political, social, and cultural integration. Key milestones include the establishment of a customs union in 2005, a common market in 2010, and a monetary union protocol in 2013. While the long-term goal is a political federation, progress toward the transitional political confederation model stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the drafting of a constitution only resuming in May 2023.
• Regional progress is hindered by trade disputes that have caused repeated border closures between member states, as well as persistent tension resulting from ongoing conflict and instability in the eastern region of the DR Congo.

APA

McLachlan, D. T. (2026). EAC: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=EAC&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

McLachlan, Du Toit. EAC: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=EAC&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=McLachlan |first1=Du Toit |title=EAC: Introduction |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=28 May 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=EAC&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mclachlan2026eac, author = {McLachlan, Du Toit}, title = {{EAC: Introduction}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=EAC&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }