Eight Partner States and a headquarters at Arusha: the East African Community

Background

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of eight Partner States, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Partner States are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.
The work of the EAC is guided by its Treaty, which was signed in 1999 and entered into force in 2000 following its ratification by the original three Partner States, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Burundi became full members in 2007, the Republic of South Sudan in 2016, the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2022 and the Federal Republic of Somalia in 2024.
The EAC is home to an estimated 331.1 million citizens, of which over 30% is urban population.
It has a land area of 5.4 million square kilometres and a combined Gross Domestic Product of USD 356 billion.
Integration has moved through the East African Customs Union and the establishment of the East African Common Market, with an East African Monetary Union Protocol under implementation.
The Community is also working towards a Political Federation.