EAC
What The DRC ’ s Entry Into The EAC Portends
By Walter Nyabundi
By the time you read this , the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) will very likely be the East African Community ’ s seventh and newest member . This follows the EAC Heads of State official invitation to the DRC to join the intergovernmental organization . In addition to being a resource rich country , the DRC will provide a market of 90 million people which shall propel the EAC market to 260 million people and yield a combined Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) of $ 240 million up from the current $ 193 million .
Since his election in 2019 , President Félix Tshisekedi has sought to strengthen ties with East Africa and deliberately recalibrated his foreign policy goals away from China and the West towards his regional neighbours . The 7-member group is now set to benefit from important opportunities to expand shared railways , road networks and cross-border electricity systems . The ports of Dar es Salaam and Mombasa ( potentially the refurbished port of Kisumu as well ) are especially critical to the exportation of the DRC ’ s innumerable minerals .
However , the DRC ’ s entry into the EAC must be viewed with cautious optimism . According to the World Bank , the country has the third largest population of the impoverished globally . In 2018 , it was estimated that over 70 percent of the Congolese population , equaling about 60 million people , lived on less than $ 2 a day . Basically , around one out of six people living in extreme poverty in Sub- Saharan Africa - live in the DRC .
While this may not be significantly different from some of the other EAC member states , particularly South Sudan and Burundi , the DRC has notable challenges with the rule of law . This directly undermines the Government ’ s efforts to improve the country ’ s economic and social situation . Indeed , according to the World Justice Project rule of law index , the DRC ranks 137 out of the 139 countries surveyed and has the worst ranking in Sub-Saharan Africa .
Insecurity in the country ’ s restive Eastern region remains a conundrum , one which successive Congolese governments have been unable to solve . Last November , the DRC allowed Ugandan soldiers to enter its territory and pursue rebels deemed to be responsible for massacres in the region . The eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri have been under an official “ state of siege ” since May 2021 . However , military action has failed to bring the siege to an end .
The spectre of violence and lawlessness in eastern DRC continues to exacerbate tensions between Uganda , Rwanda , and Burundi . This does not augur well for regional integration . The reemergence of the M23 rebel group is particularly concerning . Military authorities in North Kivu province accused the M23 of being behind a recent helicopter crash that killed eight UN peacekeepers . Tackling insecurity in the DRC will require a broad-based coalition supported not just by regional actors but by international partners as well .
Economically , one can only hope that DRC ’ s entry into the EAC will result in better development outcomes than it did for South Sudan which has perennially failed to pay its EAC membership contributions and has arrears totaling close to $ 30 million . Culturally , the DRC ’ s entry into the EAC will be a boon given its rich social tapestry . ■
Walter Nyabundi is a seasoned Social Researcher . You can commune with him on this or related matters via email at :
Nyabundiw @ gmail . com
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