MINISTER KOMBO ARRIVES IN ARUSHA TO JOIN EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY FOREIGN MINISTERS FOR THE 35TH SECTORAL COUNCIL MEETING




The Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Hon. Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo (MP), has arrived in Arusha to lead the Tanzanian delegation at the 35th Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers of the East African Community (EAC).


The meeting, which is being held in three stages, officially commenced on August 31 to September 2, 2025, at the level of Experts. It then proceeded to the Permanent Secretaries’ level on September 3–4, 2025, and today enters its third stage at the Ministerial level, expected to run for two days, September 5–6, 2025.


Participating in this meeting are all Foreign Ministers responsible for EAC affairs from the Community’s member states.


This Sectoral Council of Ministers is today receiving and deliberating on various reports initially discussed at the Experts and Permanent Secretaries’ levels. These include reports on the implementation of previous Council decisions and directives, the draft 7th EAC Development Strategy, the EAC Vision 2050, the Digital Transformation Strategy 2025–2030, preparations for the EAC Language Policy, the Community’s calendar of activities for July–December 2025, progress in the removal of non-tariff barriers within the Community, as well as updates on political matters concerning the EAC member states.


The East African Community (EAC) is a regional bloc of eight countries in the Great Lakes region of Africa, comprising the Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania.


It should be recalled that the main objective of the Community is to promote regional cooperation in areas such as trade, customs, and political collaboration. The EAC was originally established in 1967 but collapsed in 1977 due to political differences, before being officially revived in 1999 with the signing of a new Treaty.


Since its revival, the EAC has implemented several key integration milestones, including the establishment of the Customs Union in 2005, the Common Market in 2010, and ongoing efforts towards a Monetary Union. The Community has also been working to harmonize policies in sectors such as transport, health, education, and energy.


 With a population of over 300 million and a shared commitment to regional development, the EAC continues to play an increasingly significant role in continental affairs and is regarded as a model of regional cooperation in Africa.



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