First Independent Mena Newspaper
Tanzania’s decision to bar foreign nationals from operating small businesses has ignited sharp backlash across East Africa, particularly from neighboring Kenya, with fears that it could fracture regional economic ties. The new directive, announced by Trade Minister Selemani Jafo, prohibits foreigners from engaging in 15 grassroots sectors such as salons, eateries, mobile money kiosks, and […]
The East African Community (EAC) is grappling with a severe financial crisis, with member states failing to remit over $62 million in contributions for the 2024/25 financial year. The bloc, which comprises Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, has seen its programs delayed, while salaries for staff […]
While East African Community (EAC) member states are increasingly trading with one another and with other African countries, latest statistical data have shown that many other nations on the continent, such as Cameroon, still have marginal trade with Africa despite AfCFTA implementation. According to the latest data by the EAC Secretariat, the seven EAC member […]
Four East African Community (EAC) member states — Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan — have joined the joint project by Kenya and Uganda to develop a modern railway to ease movement of goods on the Northern Corridor. The decision was made during a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on […]
Somalia has finished the process of becoming a fully-fledged member of the East African Community (EAC) after it has ratified the accession treaty to an economic bloc that has some of Africa’s rapidly growing economies. Somalia joined Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, and South Sudan, as part of the exclusive […]
Relations between Burundi and Rwanda have taken another downturn after the former announced on Thursday (18 January) that it had suspended diplomatic ties with its neighbor and unilaterally closed its border. The move came last week, after the Burundi government accused Rwanda of supporting a Burundian rebel group known as RED-Tabara that is based in […]
Somalia’s entry into the East African Community (EAC) and the re-election of the Congolese president are likely to provide an important impetus to the financial services, banking and tourism, as well as to investments in renewable energy, oil, transport and logistics, all of whom are set to drive business opportunities in the East African region […]
The East African Community (EAC) regional force led by Kenya has begun its withdrawal from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after Kinshasa accused the force of failing its mission. The process began Sunday December 3 and it comes after Congolese authorities refused to renew the mandate of the force which arrived November last year […]
Somalia has finally been admitted to the East African Community (EAC) as its eighth member, thirteen years after its original application to join, as the economic bloc seeks to expand free trade across the region. Somalia was officially admitted to the East African Community (EAC) at the Summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads […]
The cost of air travel within the East African Community (EAC) region is still very high, which is also due to high operating costs and onerous visa requirements experienced by African airlines, regional legislators and a senior airline executive have complained. The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has recently called on EAC member state leaders […]