Nine lawmakers from Somalia were sworn in Monday to the East African Legislative Assembly, marking the country’s formal participation in the regional parliament after joining the East African Community in 2023.
The oath was administered during a special sitting in Arusha by EALA Speaker Joseph Ntakirutimana. The new members are Ilham Ali Gassar, Abdirahman Bashir Shariff, Zahra Ali Hassan, Faisal Abdi Roble, Faduma Abdullahi Mohamud, Fahma Ahmed Nur, Hussein Hassan Abdi Hussein, Abdisalam Hadliye Omar and Abukar Abdi Osman.
Their swearing-in follows Somalia’s admission to the EAC in late 2023, making it the bloc’s eighth member alongside Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Membership in the assembly is a key step in participating in the bloc’s legislative and policy processes.
Three ministers responsible for East African affairs from Tanzania, Rwanda and Somalia also took oath as ex-officio members without voting rights, as required under EALA rules.
They included Tanzania’s Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Somalia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs in charge of EAC Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar, and Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of EAC Affairs Yuta Kayitesi. A representative from the Democratic Republic of the Congo did not take the oath and will do so at a later date.
Speaking on behalf of the Somali legislators, Abdisalam Hadliye Omar said they were “grateful for having been finally called upon to take oath” and pledged commitment to the EAC treaty and responsibilities within the bloc.
Ali Mohamed Omar said Somalia “accept[s] the responsibility and duty with strong sense of duty to serve EAC,” adding that regional cooperation should support “African solutions to African problems” and shared prosperity.
Rwanda’s Kayitesi said she was committed to “moving the community forward” and upholding the rule of law, while Kombo said Tanzania would continue working with EALA and other EAC organs in implementing the bloc’s treaty.
EALA is the legislative arm of the EAC, which aims to promote regional integration through cooperation in trade, security and governance.
