Sunday March 8, 2026
Arusha (AX) — East African Community leaders on Sunday approved and swore in Somali jurist Abdiwahid Warsame Abdullahi as a judge of the First Instance Division of the East African Community Court of Justice, marking a milestone in Somalia’s integration into the regional bloc.
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The appointment was endorsed at the 25th Summit of EAC Heads of State in Arusha, where Abdullahi took the oath of office. His elevation brings Somali legal expertise onto the bench of the EAC’s principal judicial institution at a time when the bloc is absorbing its newest member into regional organs and processes.
Somalia’s ambassador to Tanzania, Ilyas Ali Hassan, welcomed the decision as a meaningful step for both Mogadishu and the broader East African region. “I extend my warmest congratulations to Judge Abdiwahid Warsame Abdullahi on his appointment as a judge of the First Instance Division of the East African Community Court of Justice, approved today by the 25th Summit of the Heads of State,” Hassan said in a statement.
Abdullahi has experience across domestic and international legal systems. He previously served as a state prosecutor at the Banadir Regional Court in Mogadishu and holds a Master of Laws degree in comparative and constitutional law from Ohio State University. Before his elevation to the regional court, he worked in the United States as a case reviewer and legal counsel in the prosecution division of the Columbus City Attorney’s Office.
Somalia joined the East African Community in 2023, becoming the eighth member state alongside Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its accession added a key Horn of Africa nation to the bloc and expanded the EAC’s reach along the Indian Ocean coastline.
The East African Community Court of Justice, headquartered in Arusha, serves as the judicial arm of the EAC. The court adjudicates disputes arising from the interpretation and application of the EAC Treaty and related laws, providing a mechanism for resolving cross-border legal issues and reinforcing treaty obligations among partner states.
Abdullahi’s posting to the court’s First Instance Division places him at the heart of how the EAC manages legal questions tied to trade, movement and governance across the region. While the court’s docket spans a range of treaty-related matters, its decisions can shape how regional commitments are implemented within member states’ legal frameworks.
For Somalia, the appointment underscores a broader process of institutional integration since accession, including participation in EAC policymaking and the alignment of national systems with regional standards. For the bloc, it reflects ongoing efforts to ensure the community’s institutions represent the breadth of its membership.
Leaders concluded the Arusha summit with the swearing-in, underscoring the elevated role of the EAC Court of Justice in anchoring rule of law within the community. With Abdullahi now on the bench, Somalia’s footprint within EAC institutions continues to grow as the country engages more deeply in regional cooperation.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
