The Democratic Republic of Congo has officially requested President Paul Kagame, the EAC chairman, to join the East African community.
If this request is considered, it would mean that there will be a new French influence in the region as it is just Burundi and Rwanda which had been francophone colonies within the EAC.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has a population of 81 million and is the third most populous country in Africa. If they are to join the East African Community, there would be 103 million members from francophone countries.
However, DR Congo has long been considered an unstable country, and this begs the question: will their request to join the community be accepted?
For a country to be able to join the EAC, good governance, geographical proximity and contribution to integration, among other stipulations, are taken into account.
While Somalia’s request to join the community has been denied since 2012, DR Congo seems to be already performing well with regard to the given stipulations.
For instance, DR Congo finally managed to have a peaceful transition of power to an opposition party since independence. It is not clear whether the elections were free and fair, but the fact that the whole process was peaceful is such a big deal.
Congo also borders five EAC member countries; Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Sudan. that will promote cross border trade. Also, having a large Bantu population, using the Swahili language for socioeconomic transactions and the fact that Congo has been part of east Africa’s trade network, increases Congo’s chances of being accepted into the EAC.
DR Congo is also known to speak Kiswahili, which is the most preferred language of communication among the EAC leaders and East African business leaders. As EAC promotes integration, Kiswahili will most likely be in the limelight.
READ ALSO: Opposition Leader Felix Tshisekedi Wins in Congo’s Presidential Election