Can you live and work in one of the partner countries without a visa? Can you cross a border without a passport or customs check? Can you ship goods to another country without paying any duties?

I understand there can be a lot of reasons for criticism, but it seems these are real advantages that regular people could take advantage of.

You can cross without a visa and there's an East African passport.The taxes still need to be aligned. If it accomplishes nothing else but a small measure of stability in the Congo then the EAC will be a success in my book.

Travel:

What I read personal travel is still very limited. https://www.eac.int/travelling-within-the-eac

"East Africans can now drive private cars across borders and across the entire EAC region, free of charge, for visits no longer than seven (7) days. ... Anyone using a private car has to fill a form, obtainable at border crossing points or local Revenue Authority office, which grants permission for free access for a week."

And you only have 11 official border entries for cars between all members. At all.

Work:

https://www.eac.int/working-in-east-africa You are free to work unless in the public sector, but you'd still need to pass immigration procedures, and need to get and pay for a work permit within 15 days. Better than the usual wait for 14 days at the border, but then you wait for 3 weeks at the immigration office, and you'd need to pay the work permit fee (unless in Rwanda and Kenya).

I believe a customs union and common market are not nothing. The article is a bit too optimistic in speaking already of a federation. The EU shows that a political union is difficult, but simultaneously shows that a union of currencies, customs, borders, and regulations can be wonderfully effective. In this spirit, the EAC is going in the right direction.

Yes; the EU started out with nothing but a grand vision and a Coal and Steel trade agreement.

Notwithstanding the usual political corruption, it is a step in the right direction.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Coal_and_Steel_Commun...