The Legal Status of Indigenous Peoples within the East African Community

Indigenous peoples are found across almost all the Partner States of the East Africa Community (EAC) and are broadly categorised into nomadic, semi-nomadic and hunter-gatherer communities. Defining Indigenous Peoples in…

Territoriality of Intellectual Property Systems and Intellectual Property Protection under the EAC Common Market

Introduction Intellectual Property (IP) protection systems in the EAC embrace the principle of territoriality in the protection of all aspects of IP. The principle of territoriality of IP systems entails…

Enhancing Performance Auditing in Regional Economic Communities: A Case Study of the EAC

1. Introduction Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are established to achieve various goals, but almost all are established for economic purposes and to reduce, if not eliminate, all intra-trade barriers.[1] The…

The Ongoing Expansion of the EAC and the People-Centered Principle of Integration

An Introduction to the East African Community On 24 November 2023, Somalia joined the East African Community (EAC),[1] making the EAC have a total of eight partner States: Tanzania, Kenya,…

Dispute Settlement, Sustainable Development and AfCFTA: A Scoping Analysis

1.1 Introduction The African Union (AU)’s approval of Phase 2 of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) covering the protocols on investment, intellectual property and competition policy reinforces…

Somalia Becomes the Eighth Member of the EAC – Back to the Roots?

The time has come! On 24 November 2023, the heads of state and government of the East African Community (EAC) approved Somalia’s accession. Thus, Somalia will become the eighth member…

Development of Regional Integration Research at the TGCL

The establishment of the Tanzanian-German Centre for Eastern African Legal Studies (TGCL) was premised on the vision of training young lawyers to assume leadership positions in various sectors by training…

Change Through Trade? East African Community Starts Accession Negotiations with Somalia

The East African Community (EAC) is one of the fastest-growing regional economic blocs in the world. It currently comprises seven partner states, including Congo (since 2022), the Republic of Burundi,…

Economic Dimensions of Peace Operations and Peacebuilding in Africa: The Role of AfCFTA

Introduction Africa cannot be described as conflict-free, fragile and conflict-affected states/situations remain endemic across the continent. [1] The African Union (AU)’s Solemn Declaration and the ‘Silencing the Guns’ initiative recognize…

The Right to a Clean and Healthy Environment in Africa through the Lens of Regional Integration

Introduction The UN General Assembly on 28th July, 2022 adopted a landmark resolution recognizing and making a declaration that the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a…