Uganda’s Museveni Calls for African Unity at EAC Summit

President Yoweri Museveni has called on African nations to stand united amid a changing global geopolitical and economic climate.

The Ugandan leader made the call on Saturday when he assumed the rotational leadership of the East African Community (EAC), taking over from William Ruto of Kenya.

Museveni emphasized the need for African countries to remain united as the continent navigates shifting global dynamics.

He urged African nations to build their own internal market through deeper regional integration.

“The East African Community and continental integration are therefore not optional. Prosperity comes from production and markets. Fragmented markets keep Africa poor,” Museveni said in a social media post.

He added that unity should take precedence over other considerations, particularly in the post-independence era following Africa’s liberation from colonial rule.

Museveni was elected at the bloc’s summit held at its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, on Saturday to serve a one-year term from March 2026 to March 2027.

The East African Community is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising eight member states: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania and Somalia. Somalia joined the bloc in November 2023 and became a full member in March 2024.