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Africa’s Demise Lies In The Continent’s Political Integration

[ Posted On: 2007-08-06 ]

According to a recent Tanzanian Government-Commissioned report (Prof. Samuel Wangwe Commission, Guardian, July 14th 2007), as many as 79.9% of the Tanzanians pooled are opposed the idea of fast tracking the transformation of East African Community into a Political Federation. Tanzanians, unlike Kenyans and their Ugandan counterparts (who are enthusiastic about the federation), are principally concerned about the threat such a federation would pose to their employment opportunities and natural resources. On the same month of July, a Pan Africanist old idea about the formation of the United States of Africa got a Presidential Declaration of Support when leaders from thirty African Nations held a summit in Accra to discuss the need for fast tracking an Africa- wide political federation. While the outcome of the two above-mentioned issues may appear contradictory, neither of them seemed to address the underlying problem that most African States must resolve to get rid of their baggage of poverty. Recent wisdom has it that trade and not aid can save Africa; which would mean that rather than concentrate on political federation, more emphasis should be placed on the strengthening and merger of Regional Economic blocks in Africa.

A review of the official websites for the three main economic blocks in Africa (www.sadc.int, www.comesa.int, www.ecowas.int) suggests that the organizations are at different stages of development. The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), with a history dating back to the year 1980, was initially formed to coordinate development among Southern African States with a view to lessening economic dependence on the then apartheid South Africa. With Tanzania at the heart of its formation, the Community enjoys a membership of 14 independent states who now include the new South Africa. It appears that the process of its transformation has been hampered by inadequate institutional reforms and it also lacks clear focus on trade and investments while relying heavily on external financial support which compromises sustainability of its programs. Indeed, basic data on trade and investments within the community are not posted on the official website. SADC is burdened by its stated goal of evolution of common political values, systems and institutions for member States.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has a membership of 15 West African states and it was founded five years before SADC was born. Its objective is the achievement of Economic Union of West African member states. With a huge parliament which is highly skewed in favor of Nigeria and the recent spate of civil wars within some member states, ECOWAS has been struggling with task of streamlining its decision–making process. The last Executive Secretary’s report available on the official website is for the year 2002, and the site does not provide meaningful data on the economic benefits which the Union may have brought to the individual Member States.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) on the other hand has a history which goes back to the year 1981, when it was known as the Preferential Trade Area (PTA). Its main objective is the creation of a common market for Member States through the formation of an Economic Community that now claims to be ready to merge into the African Union. Based in Zambia, the market has a membership of 19 African States. COMESA’s online newsletter (COMESA in brief) is downloadable from its official website and it contains updated information on the affairs of the trading block which is meant for the general public. Reliable data on trade and investments within the member states is also available from the website. The fact that intra-COMESA trade has grown at an average of 7% every year since the establishment of the free trade area would mean that by trading among each other, African states would be promoting the growth of the continent at the expense of the rest of the world. Healthy competition among COMESA member states is regulated by putting in place programs that ensure that competition for business is fair and transparent.

The challenge is for member states to ensure that the modes of transmission of information regarding the economic benefits of membership of the regional economic blocks are diversified including dedicating airtime and space on national media. However, for the same reasons that political integration is not working in Europe after many years of trying hard, political federalism will not work in east Africa nor will it work in the even more diverse continent of Africa. As evident in the gains made within a functioning economic block such as COMESA, greater effort should be put in promoting trade and investment across the continent. As more local private companies go public to raise their share capital and become regional, the private sector is able to set up industries that add value to Africa’s raw materials. By promoting trade among African states, the continent’s wealth remains within and the possibility of adding value to raw materials increases with the need to expand intra-Africa trade and investment.

The idea of a federal United States of Africa is as outdated as the need for a continent -wide political union. The guaranteed future of the continent should be in the Commonwealth of Independent States of Africa that are able and willing to trade with each other because political integration may be just what Africa needs to get itself deeper into conflicts. Tanzanians know this too well.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Martin Lyria, a Kenyan Construction Economist, has previously written opinion articles for the three largest daily newspapers in Kenya

| View Profile & All Articles By: Martin Lyria |

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