African Economic Community (original) (raw)

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International organization

Members of the AEC's parent, the African Union

The African Economic Community (AEC) is an organization of African Union states establishing grounds for mutual economic development among the majority of African states. The stated goals of the organization include the creation of free trade areas, customs unions, a single market, a central bank, and a common currency (see African Monetary Union) thus establishing an economic and monetary union.

Currently there are multiple regional blocs in Africa, also known as Regional Economic Communities (RECs), many of which have overlapping memberships. The RECs consist primarily of trade blocs and, in some cases, some political and military cooperation. Most of these RECs form the "pillars" of AEC, many of which also have an overlap in some of their member states. Due to this high proportion of overlap it is likely that some states with several memberships will eventually drop out of one or more RECs. Several of these pillars also contain subgroups with tighter customs and/or monetary unions of their own:

These pillars and their corresponding subgroups are as follows:

Pillars Subgroups
Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
East African Community (EAC)
Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS/CEEAC) Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC)
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA)West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ)
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Common Monetary Area (CMA)
Arab Maghreb Union (UMA)

member states; year of joining

member states; year of joining; cooperation in the framework of the bloc stalled

candidate states; year of application

CEN-SAD Founding states (1998): Burkina Faso Chad Libya Mali Niger Sudan Joined later: 1999: Central African Republic 1999: Eritrea 2000: Djibouti 2000: Gambia 2000: Senegal 2001: Egypt 2001: Morocco 2001: Nigeria 2001: Somalia 2001: Tunisia 2002: Benin 2002: Togo 2004: Ivory Coast 2004: Guinea-Bissau 2004: Liberia 2005: Ghana 2005: Sierra Leone 2007: Comoros 2007: Guinea 2008: Kenya 2008: Mauritania 2008: São Tomé and Príncipe 2009: Cape Verde COMESA Founding states (1994): Burundi Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Rwanda Sudan Eswatini Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Joined later: 1999: Egypt 2001: Seychelles 2005: Libya 2018: Tunisia 2018: Somalia Former members: 1994-1997: Lesotho 1994-1997: Mozambique 1994-2001: Tanzania 1994-2004: Namibia 1994-2007: Angola[1][2] EAC Founding states (2001): Kenya Tanzania Uganda Joined later: 2007: Burundi 2007: Rwanda 2016: South Sudan 2022: Democratic Republic of the Congo ECOWAS Founding states (1975): Benin UEMOA-94 Burkina Faso UEMOA-94 Ivory Coast UEMOA-94 Gambia WAMZ-00 Ghana WAMZ-00 Guinea WAMZ-00 Guinea-Bissau UEMOA-97 Liberia WAMZ-10 Mali UEMOA-94 Niger UEMOA-94 Nigeria WAMZ-00 Senegal UEMOA-94 Sierra Leone WAMZ-00 Togo UEMOA-94 Joined later: 1977: Cape Verde Former members: 1975-1999: Mauritania UEMOA-94: UEMOA state from 1994UEMOA-97: UEMOA state from 1997WAMZ-00: WAMZ state from 2000 WAMZ-10: WAMZ state from 2010
ECCAS Founding states (1985): Burundi Cameroon CEMAC-99 Central African Republic CEMAC-99 Chad CEMAC-99 Congo CEMAC-99 DR Congo Equatorial Guinea CEMAC-99 Gabon CEMAC-99 Rwanda withdrawn 2007[1]-2016[3] São Tomé and Príncipe Joined later: 1999: Angola CEMAC-99: CEMAC state from 1999 IGAD Founding states (1986): Djibouti Ethiopia Kenya Somalia Sudan Uganda Joined later: 1993: Eritrea 2011: South Sudan UMA1 Founding states (1989): Algeria Libya Mauritania Morocco Tunisia SADC Founding states (1980): Angola Botswana SACU-70 Lesotho SACU-70 Malawi Mozambique Eswatini SACU-70 Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe Joined later: 1990: Namibia SACU-90 1990: South Africa SACU-70 1995: Mauritius 1997: DR Congo 1997: Seychelles withdrawn 2004-2007 2005: Madagascar SACU-70: SACU state from 1970SACU-90: SACU state from 1990

1 The UMA (Arab Maghreb Union) does not participate in the AEC so far, because of opposition by Morocco

Overlaps illustrated

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The image above contains clickable links

The image above contains clickable links

Euler diagram showing the relationships among various multinational African entities v • t • e

Other trade blocs in Africa not part of the African Economic Community.

Other African regional blocs, not participating in the AEC framework (many of them predating AEC) are:

Their membership is as follows:

GAFTA 1 CEPGL COI LGA MRU
2005 membership: Egypt Libya Morocco Sudan Tunisia Joined later: 2009: Algeria 1976 membership: Burundi DR Congo Rwanda 1984 membership: Comoros Madagascar Mauritius Seychelles 1970 membership: Burkina Faso Mali Niger 1973 membership: Liberia Sierra Leone Joined later: 1980: Guinea 2008: Ivory Coast

1 Only African GAFTA members are listed.
GAFTA and MRU are the only blocs not currently stalled.

The AEC founded through the Abuja Treaty, signed in 1991 and entered into force in 1994 is envisioned to be created in six stages:

  1. (completed in 1999) Creation of regional blocs in regions where such do not yet exist
  2. (completed in 2007) Strengthening of intra-REC integration and inter-REC harmonisation
  3. (completed in 2021) Establishing of a free trade area and customs union in each regional bloc
  4. (to be completed in 2023) Establishing of a continent-wide customs union (and thus also a free trade area)
  5. (to be completed in 2025) Establishing of a continent-wide African Common Market (ACM)
  6. (to be completed in 2028) Establishing of a continent-wide economic and monetary union (and thus also a currency union) and Parliament
Parts of this article (those related to pre-2017 deadlines) need to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (January 2017)

as of September 2007

| | Regional blocs - pillars of the African Economic Community (AEC) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | -------------- | ----------------- | ------- | | Activity | CEN-SAD | COMESA | EAC | ECCAS | ECOWAS | IGAD | SADC | UMA | | | | | | CEMAC | Common | UEMOA | WAMZ | Common | SACU | Common | | | | | | | | Free Trade Area | stalled | progressing 1 | fully in force | fully in force | proposed for 2007 ? | fully in force | | proposed | stalled | fully in force | progressing 2 | stalled | | Customs Union | stalled | proposed for 2008 | fully in force | fully in force | proposed for 2011 ? | fully in force | | proposed for 2007 | stalled | fully in force | proposed for 2010 | stalled |

1 Members not yet participating: DR Congo (in talks to join), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Seychelles (in talks to join), Swaziland (on derogation until SACU gives permission for Swaziland to join the FTA), Uganda (to join very soon)[1]
2 Members not yet participating: Angola, DR Congo, Seychelles [2]

| Activities | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | Regional bloc | Free Trade Area | Economic and monetary union | Free Travel | Political pact | Defence pact | | | | | | Customs Union | Single Market | Currency Union | Visa-free | Border-less | | | | | | | AEC | Partially In Force | proposed for 2023 | proposed for 2023 | proposed for 2028 | proposed for 2023 | proposed for 2023 | proposed for 2028 | proposed for 2028 | | | CEN-SAD | proposed for 2010 | | | | | | | | | | COMESA | in force 1 | proposed for 2008 | ? | proposed for 2018 | | | | | | | EAC | in force | in force | proposed for 2015 | proposed for 2024 | proposed for 2018[6] | ? | proposed for 2023 | | | | ECCAS | CEMAC | in force | in force | ? | in force | | | | | | Common | proposed for 2007 ? | proposed for 2011 ? | proposed | proposed | proposed | ? | | in force | | | ECOWAS | UEMOA | in force | in force | proposed[7] | in force | | | | | | WAMZ | | | ? | proposed for 2012 | | | | | | | Common | proposed 2 | proposed for 2007 | proposed[8] | proposed | in force 1 | proposed | proposed | in force | | | IGAD | | | | | | | | | | | SADC | SACU | in force | in force | | de facto in force 1 | ? | | | | | Common[3][_permanent dead link_] | proposed for 2008 3 | proposed for 2010 | proposed for 2015 | proposed for 2016 | | | | | | | UMA | | | | | | | | | |

1 not all members participating yet
2 telecommunications, transport and energy - proposed
3 sensitive goods to be covered from 2012

African Economic Community
Pillar regionalblocs (REC) Area(km²) Population GDP (PPP) ($US) Memberstates
(millions) (per capita)
EAC 5,449,717 343,328,958 737,420 2,149 8
ECOWAS/CEDEAO 5,112,903 349,154,000 1,322,452 3,788 15
IGAD 5,233,604 294,197,387 225,049 1,197 7
AMU/UMA a 6,046,441 106,919,526 1,299,173 12,628 5
ECCAS/CEEAC 6,667,421 218,261,591 175,928 1,451 11
SADC 9,882,959 394,845,175 737,392 3,152 15
COMESA 12,873,957 406,102,471 735,599 1,811 20
CEN-SAD a 14,680,111 29
Total AEC 29,910,442 853,520,010 2,053,706 2,406 54
Other regionalblocs Area(km²) Population GDP (PPP) ($US) Memberstates
(millions) (per capita)
WAMZ 1 1,602,991 264,456,910 1,551,516 5,867 6
SACU 1 2,693,418 51,055,878 541,433 10,605 5
CEMAC 2 3,020,142 34,970,529 85,136 2,435 6
UEMOA 1 3,505,375 80,865,222 101,640 1,257 8
UMA 2 a 5,782,140 84,185,073 491,276 5,836 5
GAFTA 3 a 5,876,960 1,662,596 6,355 3,822 5
AES 2,780,159 71,374,000 179,347 3
During 2004. Sources: The World Factbook 2005, IMF WEO Database. Smallest value among the blocs compared. Largest value among the blocs compared. 1: Economic bloc inside a pillar REC. 2: Proposed for pillar REC, but objecting participation. 3: Non-African members of GAFTA are excluded from figures. a: The area 446,550 km2 used for Morocco excludes all disputed territories, while 710,850 km2 would include the Moroccan-claimed and partially-controlled parts of Western Sahara (claimed as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic by the Polisario Front). Morocco also claims Ceuta and Melilla, making up about 22.8 km2 (8.8 sq mi) more claimed territory. This box: viewtalkedit

African Free Trade Zone

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The African Free Trade Zone (AFTZ) was announced on Wednesday October 22, 2008 by the heads of Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC).

In May 2012 the idea was extended to also include ECOWAS, ECCAS and AMU.[9]

  1. ^ a b "SADC, COMESA and the EAC: Conflicting regional and trade agendas". Institute for Global Dialogue. October 2008. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  2. ^ "African integration is great but has its hurdles". New Vision. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 19 June 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  3. ^ Mugisha, Ivan R. (2010-08-20). "Rwanda back to Central Africa bloc, 10 years on". theeastafrican.co.ke. Retrieved 2017-10-04.
  4. ^ Kede, Shoshana (2 April 2019). "Africa free trade agreement gets last ratification from Gambia". AfricanBusinessMagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  5. ^ "AfCFTA Agreement secures minimum threshold of 22 ratification as Sierra Leone and the Saharawi Republic deposit instruments". African Union. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  6. ^ Ligami, Christabel (2017-04-17). "East Africa e-passports to be issued in 2018". theeastafrican.co.ke. Retrieved 2017-10-04.
  7. ^ WT/COMTD/N/11 Archived 2009-03-25 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ WT/COMTD/N/21 Archived 2009-03-27 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Africa free trade zone in operation by 2018