Kampala, (SONNA)-: Somalia’s Attorney General, Dr. Sulayman Mohamed Mohamoud, attended the 10th annual meeting of the East African Prosecutors Association (EAAP) in Uganda, where Somalia became the newest member of the regional body. The EAAP aims to foster better cooperation in criminal justice among member countries.
Somalia’s membership in the EAAP also paves the way for its efforts to join the East African Community (EAC), a regional intergovernmental organization.
In a Facebook post, Dr. Suleyman Mohamed shared his experience of attending the 10th meeting of the East African Regional Prosecutor’s Association in Uganda. He expressed his honor in being part of this esteemed group that Somalia recently joined and how they exchanged ideas and strategies for five days to combat cross-border crimes that victimize women and children who deserve protection and justice.
“My office’s request to join the East African Prosecutors Association has been approved. I am very happy that Somalia is now an official member of this regional organization. This will open up many opportunities for our country at the regional level,” he says.
He also highlighted his efforts to prevent crimes against children and youth in Somalia and prosecute gender-based violence cases such as rape, murder, exploitation, and trafficking which threaten the country’s security and stability.
The EAAP is an organization of national prosecution authorities established in 2010 by the founding members of EAC (East African Community), namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. The annual meeting provides an opportunity for members to learn from each other’s experiences and share best practices in criminal justice. It also explores ways to improve the criminal justice system, ensuring that it is fair and efficient for all citizens and that countries in the region can cooperate and collaborate effectively in combating crime.
Somalia’s Membership in the EAAP aligns with its efforts to join the East African Community as a member state
The EAC officially launched its verification mission on January 25, 2023, to assess the readiness of the Federal Republic of Somalia to join the Community. The conference, which lasted ten days, included meetings between Somali leaders and government officials, along with representatives from the EAC.
On October 26, 2022, President H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, called for the EAC to expedite the country’s admission into the Community, stating, “Somalia belongs to the East African Community.” During the EAC Secretary-General’s visit to Mogadishu, Dr. Peter Mutuku Mathuki formally delivered the directive to fast-track the verification exercise for Somalia according to the EAC’s admission procedures.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somalia, Abshir Omar Jama (Haruse), expressed eagerness to join the EAC on the first day of the meeting, stating, “We are confident that Somalia’s membership in the EAC will bring mutual benefits to all parties involved.” Similarly, Abdisalan Hadliye Omar, the Special Envoy of the President of Somalia to the EAC, expressed optimism about Somalia’s integration into the EAC, saying, “Somalia is ready to join the EAC family and contribute to its vision and objectives.”
It is noteworthy that Somali people have major businesses in the countries of the East African Community, such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Dr. Mohamed Osman Mohamoud, the National Economic Advisor to the President of Somalia and a member of the National Economic Council, with whom I spoke on a WhatsApp call, advocates for joining the EAC as a way to improve regional cooperation and integration. He says, “It would enhance trade, services, human capital development, and mobility across borders.”
He highlighted Somalia’s long coastline and its entrepreneurial spirit as assets for peace and tourism.
Somalia is the Horn’s easternmost country. Somalis and East Africans benefit from EAC membership. Cooperation, growth, and prosperity resulted.
ABDALLA H. -SONNA
