Yaoundé —
Central African ministers meeting in Cameroon have agreed to merge two regional blocs to boost trade and growth. The 11-member Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) will join the 6-member Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). The deal aims to eliminate rivalry that has helped make Central Africa the poorest region among Africa’s economic groups.
Central Africa’s economy ministers say they want to boost regional integration, accelerate economic transformation and facilitate development by merging the two economic blocs.
Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad are members of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), while the Economic Community of Central African States ECCAS consists of all CEMAC member states plus Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Sao Tome and Principe.
Charles Assamba Ongodo heads the unit of a pilot committee created by Central African heads of state to bring together CEMAC and ECCAS.
Ongodo said one economic bloc instead of two will reduce administrative duplication and related costs.
“The sub-region will become more integrated, competitive, efficient and strong enough to compete with the other regions. We have some stronger countries in Central Africa that could push the rest,” Ongodo said.
ECCAS was founded in 1983 to reduce inequality and poverty in Central Africa. Central African leaders formed CEMAC about a decade later, launching it in 1999 for the same purpose.
The African Union reports that free movement of people and goods remains a dream in most Central African countries. The lack of a functioning common market and customs union, which Central African leaders sought when creating the two structures, has further deepened poverty.
Moise Taboue, one of the pilot committee’s advisers, says the fallout from Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine underscores the need for Central Africa to merge its two economic structures and focus on its development.
According to Taboue, the Central African countries produce about 5% of the pharmaceutical products they need and, despite their enormous potential, spend US$269 million every year to import pharmaceutical products from Europe. He said the Central African states’ over-reliance on imports was responsible for the hardships among civilians caused by shortages and rising food and commodity prices since Russia launched its war in Ukraine in February this year.
Taboue said most of the region’s civilians live on less than a dollar a day, while 40% of the population suffer from hunger amid abundance. He blamed the situation on regional government officials, who he said see integration as a threat to each country’s sovereignty.
Together, ECCAS and CEMAC form a market of more than 240 million people and is the least integrated region in Africa according to the African Union.
Cross-border business between Central African countries is estimated at less than 5% compared to a continental average of around 20%. The region lacks developed land, air and sea communications, which poses a huge obstacle to integration.
At the ministerial meeting in Cameroon on Wednesday, it was said that the two blocs would be merged before the end of 2023.
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