Tanzania must also decide whether to integrate more closely into the East African Community (EAC), which includes neighbouring Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

ECONOMIST: Worries about one of east Africa��s steadier economies

As a new member of the East African Community, it can earn more by openly handling Congo's metals, gems and hardwoods than it can by looting them, as in the past.

ECONOMIST: Congo and Rwanda

The Vision 2030 initiative is keen to align with regional economic communities such as the East African Community, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and Community of Sahel-Saharan States among others.

BBC: Impression of Konza City

Neighbouring Tanzania went ahead with its digital migration on 31 December, the first to do so of the five members of the East African Community, which had agreed to an early switchover to fix any glitches ahead of the June 2015 global deadline to end analogue transmissions.

BBC: Kenyan digital TV switchover: Post-election date urged

The authors of the report said the solution to ending piracy will only come with the recreation of a functional Somali state and urged the international community to focus on helping the East African county build a viable political system.

CNN: Somali pirates cost global economy '$18 billion a year'