Swahili language and East African Community

Swahili in Arabic script—memorial plate at the Askari Monument, Dar es Salaam (1927)

Although originally written with the Arabic script, Swahili is now written in a Latin alphabet introduced by Christian missionaries and colonial administrators. The text shown here is the Catholic version of the Lord's Prayer.

Swahili in Arabic script on the clothes of a girl in German East Africa (ca. early 1900s)

From left to right: President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, and President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania during the eighth EAC summit in Arusha, November 2006.

Loxodonta africana elephants frolic in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, 2012.

EAC heads in 2009. From left to right: Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Mwai Kibaki (Kenya), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Pierre Nkurunziza (Burundi).

Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the 2006 EAC summit. Rwanda joined the EAC on 1 July 2007.

Three EAC countries border Lake Victoria.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest peak, located in Tanzania.

{{flagicon|Democratic Republic of the Congo}} Democratic Republic of the Congo

Due to concerted efforts by the government of Tanzania, Swahili is one of three official languages (the others being English and French) of the East African Community (EAC) countries, namely Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

- Swahili language

Kiswahili, English and French are designated as the official languages of the EAC, with Swahili designated for development as the lingua franca of the community.

- East African Community

8 related topics

Southern African Development Community

Inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana.

In August 2019 SADC adopted Swahili as its fourth working language, alongside English, French and Portuguese.

On Wednesday 22 October 2008, SADC joined with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the East African Community to form the African Free Trade Zone, including all members of each of the organizations.

Burundi

Flag of the Kingdom of Burundi (1962–1966).

Independence Square and monument in Bujumbura.

Belligerents of the Second Congo War. Burundi backed the rebels.

View of the capital city Bujumbura in 2006.

Pierre Nkurunziza, President of Burundi in 2005–2020.

Hippos at Kibira National Park in the Northwest of Burundi

A proportional representation of Burundi exports, 2019

Historical development of GDP per capita

Graphical depiction of Burundi's product exports in 28 colour-coded categories in 2009.

Bujumbura International Airport terminal in Bujumbura

Bicycles are a popular means of transport in Burundi

Carolus Magnus School in Burundi. The school benefits from the campaign "Your Day for Africa" by Aktion Tagwerk.

Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi (Repuburika y’Uburundi, ; Swahili: Jamuhuri ya Burundi; French: République du Burundi, or ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley where the African Great Lakes region and East Africa converge.

In addition, Burundi, along with Rwanda, joined the East African Community in 2007.

Uganda

Landlocked country in East Africa.

A caesarean section performed by indigenous healers in Kahura, in the Empire of Kitara (present-day Uganda) as observed by medical missionary Robert William Felkin in 1879. This incident was recorded long before the arrival of the European missionary doctors and clinics. The kingdom performed a highly developed surgical procedure, the first-ever cesarean section technique that saved both the mother and child.

Construction of the Owen Falls Dam in Jinja.

The Uganda printers building on Kampala Road, Kampala, Uganda

Grey Crowned Crane - a symbol of Uganda.

Belligerents of the Second Congo War. On 19 December 2005, the International Court of Justice found against Uganda, in a case brought by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for illegal invasion of its territory, and violation of human rights.

Uganda map of Köppen climate classification.

U.S. President George W. Bush met with President Yoweri Museveni in Entebbe, Uganda, 11 July 2003.

Protests in New York City against Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

Graphical depiction of Uganda's product exports in 28 color-coded categories.

Change in per capita GDP of Uganda, 1950–2018. Figures are inflation-adjusted to 2011 International dollars.

Mobile operators offer money sending, receiving services, bill payments among many more services.

Cultural celebrations in Northern Uganda

Saint Mary's Cathedral Rubaga, is the parent cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala.

The official languages are English and Swahili, although the Constitution states that "any other language may be used as a medium of instruction in schools or other educational institutions or for legislative, administrative or judicial purposes as may be prescribed by law."

Uganda is a member of the East African Community (EAC), along with Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.

Image of the region between Lake Victoria (on the right) and Lakes Edward, Kivu and Tanganyika (from north to south) showing dense vegetation (bright green) and fires (red).

East Africa

Eastern subregion of the African continent.

The Bab-el-Mandeb crossing in the Red Sea: now some 12 miles (20 km) wide, narrower in prehistory.

Early Iron Age findings in East and Southern Africa

Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan are members of the East African Community. The first five are also included in the African Great Lakes region. Burundi and Rwanda are at times also considered to be part of Central Africa.

With its original speech community centered on the coastal parts of Tanzania (particularly Zanzibar) and Kenya—a seaboard referred to as the Swahili Coast—the Bantu Swahili language contains many Arabic loan-words as a consequence of these interactions.

Tanzania

Country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region.

A 1.8-million-year-old stone chopping tool discovered at Olduvai Gorge and on display at the British Museum.

A 1572 depiction of the portuguese city of Kilwa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Battle during the Maji Maji Rebellion against German colonial rule in 1905.

Tanzania map of Köppen climate classification

The Masai giraffe is Tanzania's national animal

The semi-autonomous Zanzibar Archipelago

Tanzanian ambassador to Russia Jaka Mwambi presenting his credentials to the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

Tanzanian Embassy in West End, Washington, D.C., USA

FIB Tanzanian special forces during training

A proportional representation of Tanzania exports, 2019

Historical development of real GDP per capita in Tanzania, since 1950

Nyerere Bridge in Kigamboni, Dar es Salaam

Domestic expenditure on research in Southern Africa as a percentage of GDP, 2012 or closest year. Source: UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 (2015), Figure 20.3

A Tanzanian woman cooks Pilau rice dish wearing traditional Kanga.

Farmers using a rice harvester to harvest rice in Igunga District, Tanzania

Example of a World Food Programme parcel

Researchers (HC) in Southern Africa per million inhabitants, 2013 or closest year

Scientific publications per million inhabitants in SADC countries in 2014. Source: UNESCO Science Report (2015), data from Thomson Reuters' Web of Science, Science Citation Index Expanded

A carved door with Arabic calligraphy in Zanzibar

Nkrumah Hall at the University of Dar es Salaam

Judith Wambura (Lady Jaydee) is a popular Bongo Flava recording singer.

St Joseph's Catholic cathedral, Zanzibar

The country does not have a de jure official language, although the national language is Swahili.

Tanzania is a member of the East African Community (EAC), along with Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi,South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Kenya

Country in Eastern Africa.

The Turkana boy, a 1.6-million-year-old hominid fossil belonging to Homo erectus.

A traditional Swahili carved wooden door in Lamu.

Portuguese presence in Kenya lasted from 1498 until 1730. Mombasa was under Portuguese rule from 1593 to 1698 and again from 1728 to 1729.

The Kenya–Uganda Railway near Mombasa, about 1899.

A statue of Dedan Kimathi, a Kenyan rebel leader with the Mau Mau who fought against the British colonial system in the 1950s.

The first president and founding father of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta.

Daniel arap Moi, Kenya's second President, and George W. Bush, 2001

A Köppen climate classification map of Kenya.

President Barack Obama in Nairobi, July 2015

A proportional representation of Kenya exports, 2019

Kenya, Trends in the Human Development Index 1970–2010.

The Kenya Commercial Bank office at KENCOM House (right) in Nairobi.

Workers at Olkaria Geothermal Power Plant

Maasai people. The Maasai live in both Kenya and Tanzania.

A Bantu Kikuyu woman in traditional attire

Holy Ghost Roman Catholic Cathedral in Mombasa.

Outpatient Department of AIC Kapsowar Hospital in Kapsowar.

Table showing different grades of clinical officers, medical officers, and medical practitioners in Kenya's public service

An MSc student at Kenyatta University in Nairobi.

Kenyan boys and girls performing a traditional dance

Nation Media House, which hosts the Nation Media Group

Jepkosgei Kipyego and Jepkemoi Cheruiyot at the 2012 London Olympics

Kenyan Olympic and world record holder in the 800 meters, David Rudisha.

Ugali and sukuma wiki, staples of Kenyan cuisine

Kenya is a member of the East African Community trade bloc, though some international trade organisations categorise it as part of the Greater Horn of Africa.

Kenya has close ties with its fellow Swahili-speaking neighbours in the African Great Lakes region.

Rwanda

Landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge.

A reconstruction of the ancient King's Palace at Nyanza

Juvénal Habyarimana, president from 1973 to 1994

Human skulls at the Nyamata Genocide Memorial

The Kagera and Ruvubu rivers, part of the upper Nile

Lake and volcano in the Virunga Mountains

Volcanoes National Park is the home of the largest population of Mountain Gorillas in the world.

Estimated development of real GDP per capita in Rwanda, since 1950

Coffee beans drying in Maraba. Coffee is one of Rwanda's major cash crops.

Mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park

Children in a Rwandan primary school, using laptops supplied by the One Laptop Per Child program

Butaro Hospital at Burera, Northern Province

Historical development of life expectancy in Rwanda

Adrien Niyonshuti, "one of the most famous people in Rwanda", competing in the cross-country mountain biking event at the 2012 Summer Olympics

The country is a member of the African Union, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, COMESA, OIF and the East African Community.

Swahili, the lingua franca of the East African Community, is also spoken by some as a second language, particularly returned refugees from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and those who live along the border with the DRC.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Country in Central Africa.

View of Leopoldville Station and Port in 1884

1908 photograph of a married Christian couple.

Force Publique soldiers in the Belgian Congo in 1918. At its peak, the Force Publique had around 19,000 Congolese soldiers, led by 420 Belgian officers.

The leader of ABAKO, Joseph Kasa-Vubu, first democratically elected President of Congo-Léopoldville

Patrice Lumumba, first democratically elected Prime Minister of the Congo-Léopoldville, was murdered by Belgian-supported Katangan separatists in 1961

Mobutu Sese Seko and Richard Nixon in Washington, D.C., 1973.

Mobutu with the Dutch Prince Bernhard in Kinshasa in 1973

People fleeing their villages due to fighting between FARDC and rebel groups, North Kivu, 2012

Government troops near Goma during the M23 rebellion in May 2013

DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi with neighbouring Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso in 2020; both wear face masks due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo map of Köppen climate classification

Mount Nyiragongo, which last erupted in 2021.

Joseph Kabila was President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from January 2001 to January 2019.

President Joseph Kabila with U.S. President Barack Obama in August 2014

FARDC soldiers on patrol in Ituri province

A group of demobilized child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A proportional representation of Democratic Republic of the Congo exports, 2019

Change in per capita GDP of Congo, 1950–2018. Figures are inflation-adjusted to 2011 International dollars.

Rough diamonds ≈1 to 1.5 mm in size from DR Congo.

DR Congo's Human Development Index scores, 1970–2010.

Train from Lubumbashi arriving in Kindu on a newly refurbished line.

Kongo youth and adults in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Family in Rutshuru, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The population pyramid of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A classroom in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Development of life expectancy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Population fleeing their villages due to fighting between FARDC and rebels groups, Sake North Kivu 30 April 2012

The Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Lubumbashi

It is a member of the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, African Union, East African Community, COMESA, South African Development Community, and the Economic Community of Central African States.

Approximately 242 languages are spoken in the country, of which four have the status of national languages: Kituba (Kikongo), Lingala, Tshiluba, and Swahili.