African Summit launches free trade zone

The Tripartite Mechanism brings together 26 Member States of the common market for Eastern and southern Africa (COMESA), East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

With the signing of this agreement, the project will be the creation of a free trade area covering half of the African continent.

"This agreement is a milestone in the history of Africa. Just a free trade area, a single economic area covering half of Africa, a step without precedent, "said Francis Mangeni, responsible of the COMESA.

The access of African countries economic integration still faces many difficulties, mainly because the infrastructure in these countries is not prepared, in the field of transport, telecommunications and energy.

The third meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Committee of senior officials on Free trade area was prepared by delegates from South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and employees of the Tripartite Working Group composed of the secretariats of COMESA EAC, and SADC.

At the preliminary meeting, participated also representatives of the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

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