Wednesday October 15, 2025
Somalia’s newly elected representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) are pictured in a composite graphic created by Hiiraan Online. The nine lawmakers (L to R) — Hussein Hassan Mohamed, Ilhaan Ali Gasar, Faysal Abdi Roble, Abdisalaam Hadliye, Abdirahman Bashir Sharif, Fahma Ahmed Nur, Fadumo Abdullahi, Abukar Mardaadi, and Sahra Ali Hassan — will represent Somalia in the regional parliament, marking the country’s first full participation in the East African Community (EAC) since joining the bloc in 2024.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s Federal Parliament on Wednesday elected nine lawmakers to
represent the country in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), finalizing a crucial step in Somalia’s integration into the East African Community (EAC) less than a year after joining the regional bloc.
The joint session, held at Villa Hargeisa in Mogadishu, brought together both Houses of Parliament to vote on the new representatives. The election followed months of preparations that began in February 2024, when Parliament ratified Somalia’s EAC accession law and formed a special five-member committee to oversee the nomination and vetting process.
The nine lawmakers elected to represent Somalia at EALA are Hussein Hassan Mohamed, Ilhaan Ali Gasar, Faysal Abdi Roble, Abdisalaam Hadliye, Abdirahman Bashir Sharif, Fahma Ahmed Nur, Fadumo Abdullahi, Abukar Mardaadi, and Sahra Ali Hassan.
The committee, chaired by MP Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan (Nuuh) and deputized by Senator Zamzam Ibrahim Ali, was tasked with shortlisting eligible candidates and verifying their qualifications before submitting the final list for confirmation. Lawmakers added that the move aimed to ensure transparency and timely participation in the upcoming EALA sessions in Arusha, Tanzania.
By filling its nine seats, Somalia becomes a full parliamentary participant in the EAC’s legislative body, joining Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The EALA serves as the bloc’s lawmaking arm, responsible for drafting and passing legislation to promote regional integration, trade, and the free movement of people and goods.
Somalia’s accession to the East African Community was formally approved by regional heads of state in November 2024. Since then, Mogadishu has played a more active role in regional affairs. Earlier this year, it hosted the East African Cooperation Conference (EACON 2025), which brought together over 350 delegates from across the bloc to discuss economic partnerships and integration priorities.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has also announced plans to introduce Swahili, the lingua franca of the region, into Somalia’s school and university curricula to foster closer linguistic and cultural integration with fellow EAC states.