Congo joins East African trade bloc, widening the market

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA
Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The central African nation of Congo has joined the East African Community, widening the trade bloc’s footprint with the admission of its seventh member. Congo applied to join the bloc, commonly known as the EAC, in 2019. President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya announced Congo’s admission on Tuesday, calling it a “historic” moment for a bloc that originally only included Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. The bloc also includes Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. With Congo’s admission, it now commands a market of about 300 million people.