Regional Integration in Africa: Challenges and Prospects

This paper evaluates the progress of Africa towards regional integration, analyzing a number of obstacles they have encountered. The discussion is a comparative study between the African and the European Union and up until what extent the African Union has been successful in its regional integration.

RUNNING HEAD: Law
LAW
11/24/2018

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INTRODUCTION
This paper is to evaluate the progress of Africa towards regional integration, analyzing a
number of obstacles they have encountered. The regional integration in Africa as described
further and by putting stress on the economic and political profits that likely to happen from
thereof. A brief assessment of the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
with European Union portrayed, as an exemplar for the African Union. COMESA formed right
after Preferential Trade Area1. Moreover, it was to assist as an organization of such states, which
are not only free and independent but also sovereign. The states, which will cooperate and agree
on reducing the trade barriers for different nations to conserve and make judicious use of their
natural resources for the good of all of its citizens. It has been focusing mainly on overcoming all
the hurdles, handled by individual states. Its main aim is to promote priorities towards
sustainable economic development.
The discussion in this paper is to do the comparative study between the African and the
European Union and up until what extent the African Union has been successful in its regional
integration. In addition, the conclusion is regarding the integration of economies and measures to
increase trade with other nations worldwide. Moreover, the changes required and that influence
the markets as per the different schemes explained below. This report/paper investigates the link
used in theory and empirical literature reviews2. This paper highlights that the trade intra-Africa
1 Sonja Nita, 'Regional Free Movement Of People: The Case Of African Regional Economic Communities' (2013) 3
Regions and Cohesions.
2 'COMESA | African Union' (Au.int, 2018) <https://au.int/en/recs/comesa> accessed 29 November 2018.

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is still not high, despite there are number of different trading blocs for regional trade. High
Scarcity rates in context to poverty, the comparison and the differences between the AU and EU.
INTRODUCTION OF AFRICAN UNION AND EUROPEAN UNION
African Union is one of the most important and an intergovernmental organization, which
comprises of 55 other African States whereas the European Union is a combination of 28
European States. African Union’s main aim is to maintain and balance security and peace among
the states so that states maintain the stability, on the other hand, European Union aims at good
services and free movement of people and capital internally. Both the unions spark with the
concept of unity. In modern Africa, Libyan president Muammar El Gaddafi and in Europe
Winston Churchill have strong visions of making United States of Africa and a federal EU
respectively. The federation knowledge was, however; fell for a more functionalist method for
integration. This idea and theory, incorporated by Ernst B. Haas, believed that integration
initially starts with technical and noncontroversial sectors3. The AU and the EU have amazingly
similar features. The AU guidelines were made as per the EU only. With only some fewer
exceptions, else AU is exactly similar and same as a mirror image. The African Court of Justice
(ACJ) in 2006 combined with the Peoples ‘Civil liberties in African court to form the Court of
Human Rights and Justice in Africa in short ACJ & HR. For emphasizing on similarities,
institutional order is not important.
OBJECTIVES OF COMESA
COMESA aims at maintaining a balance and a level of equality between the member
states. It has a goal of building a fiduciary relationship and solidarity between the member states.
3 'Overview – COMESA SUMMIT 2018' (Comesasummit2018.org, 2018<https://comesasummit2018.org/overview-
2/> accessed 29 November 2018.

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Along with this harmony should be maintained in between the members in writing and
explaining all the policies and programs relating to the integration of different regions. So that no
aggression and chaos be there in between the member states. The COMESA targeted at one thing
very important that is the protection of the rights of people and gives their right’s proper
recognition in order to promote them in an agreement with the African Charter on Human and
People's Rights4. To ask for more participation of public for development programs as well. To
make sure that each state who is a member should be following all the democratic rules and
regulations. COMESA is an organization, which collaborates in all the economic and social
sectors5. However, because of resources Limitations, the application of activities/programs
arranged to parts where there can be effects done. Following are the five priorities for the next
coming years:-
1. Target is to maintain the consequences for years i.e., a rise in productivity in industries,
dispensation, manufacturing, and agro-based industries.
2. To provide reasonable goods for cross-border trade and
3. To increase in wealth and creation of jobs opportunities.
4. With a special focus on the joint development of rivers and lake to reduce dependence on
rain-fed cultivation and new points on food security at the district levels, national and local
levels; development of conveyance and infrastructures services with special stress on connecting
the rural areas. In addition, African and European Union accept it quite well.
4 Alemayehu , Haile Geda , Kebret, 'Regional Economic Integration In Africa: A Review Of Problems And Prospects
With A Case Study Of COMESA' (2008) 17 Journal of African Economies.
5 Christopher B. Barrett, 'Smallholder Market Participation: Concepts And Evidence From Eastern And Southern
Africa' (2008) 33 Food Policy.

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AFRICA’S REGIONAL INTEGRATION
Turning onto the next topic as it encounters handled by regional integration in Africa, it is
very beneficial to start with a short overview of the position of few of the most important
regional integration labors. Many regional organizations recognized in order to exploit the
benefits of regional integration. Furthermore, the current regional organizations have attained
changing degrees of success in achieving their proposed goals. Many factors have been playing
vital role in encouraging nations to build regional blocs, with the continuance of peace and
security. Most among these are in the form of free trade agreements (FTAs), with final
movement near customs unions (CLs)6. There are many examples other than COMESA like-
ECOWAS, WAEMU, EAC, and SADC.
These regional integrations blocs broadly state that its goals are to encourage social and
cultural integration and cooperation, to establish monetary union; and to upgrade living standards
to enhance economic stability, to build stronger relations among states, and add to progress on
the African Continent’s development. Development in trade and regional integration in the area
is encouraging. More than two-thirds member’s states have removed tariff barriers on unrefined
goods as per the Diplomat and International Relations.
AFRICAN UNION: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS
The difficulties faced by the African Union are on a very wide and large level. There is
no count of problems, not only that but there are no fix areas too, whether it is education, health,
agriculture, electrification, housing, transport etc. One of the foremost problems that are handled
by the AU is its steep membership size. Fifty around member states, possible pitfalls that could
6 Rutendo Tavengerwei, 'Using Trade Facilitation To Assist Msmes In E-Commerce In Developing Countries' (2018)
21 Journal of International Economic Law.

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converse the development of AU are multifarious7. It includes, and not restricted to, optimal
making the move like snail’s speed, or even slowly stopping. Not like the EU’s regional
combination or integration opportunity ride. Even though it was accidental and it was
comparatively very easy to forge agreement on many issues. As per the theory of neo-realist,
assuming that states are normal actors and react in very self-concerned manners, but inclined by
domestic actors, getting to a harmonious position at the worldwide level may be thoroughly hard.
The EU is also beneficial in how gradually hard choice making has developed and how it
broadens its membership. The problems that the AU, then, faces are- how to fake harmony or
accord minute popularity on crucial practical issues8. If Union is not able to decide, then it might
call it the day and pack. Truly, if associate states start extracting from the Union, because of a
hindrance with delay, the insight does not portend fine in case of AU9. However, a choice-
building viewpoint, the least the member of states, the better happens on any withdrawal of
connection of the AU which is expected to be negative. It is an ideal strategy to increase
members than to lose them, as the earlier signals progress’ outcome as a possibility of supposing
more duties at the international level, while the final means that something is not at well. At the
beginning, not just the AU boost with a massive crowd of fellow states, nonetheless it is trying to
work on all aspects10. One of the experiences of integration regionally in a generic way, and the
skill of EU does in particular, is that it is a progression and not an occurrence. In the custom
7 Jeffrey A Frankel, Ernesto Stein and Shang-Jin Wei, Regional Trading Blocs In The World Economic
System (Institute for International Economics 1997).
8 Macleans Mzumara, 'Increasing Supply Of Tradable Goods In The Common Market For Eastern And Southern
Africa (COMESA)' (1981) 1 Review of Economics and Development Studies
9 James Forum, 'African CSO Concerns On Exclusion From AU Summits' (Globalpolicy.org, 2018)
<https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/177/31575.html> accessed 24 November 2018.
10 Henry Karamuriro Tumwebaze and Alex Thomas Ijjo, 'Regional Economic Integration And Economic Growth In
The COMESA Region, 1980-2010' (2015) 27 African Development Review.

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related to neo-functionalism, it is best to mix sector of African economies at a time, and gently,
design a new-shared judgment-making epicenter.
CONTRAST BETWEEN AU AND EU
DIFFERENCES
INTEGRATION METHOD
The EU has started from the bottom to integrate route by going systematically, where it
have started from the top down designs by adopting grand philosophies. On the other side of it
European and African states has rejected the idea of surrendering some of the power of their
states to a central entity11. With the help of functional approach, EU has succeeded to integrate
the European states12.
SITUATION & REALITIES
The AU and EU have a difference in terms of money, time and the size. Van der Mei
states that were in the beginning EU had to deal with six members only, the AU was there with
fifty states. EU is more effective in the funding part than AU. In addition, EU formed in a
somewhat steady and quiet context. The AU has faced grave conditions of war and the poverty in
Africa along with severe issues of public health that includes HIV/AIDS and malaria13. These
11 TREATY ESTABLISHING THE AFRICAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (2018).
12 Henry Karamuriro Tumwebaze and Alex Thomas Ijjo, 'Regional Economic Integration And Economic Growth In
The COMESA Region, 1980-2010' (2015) 27 African Development Review.
13 African Voices On Development And Social Justice, Editorials From Pambazuka News 2004 (Summary)'
(Fahamubooks.org, 2018) <http://www.fahamubooks.org/book/?GCOI=90638100741880&fa=sommaire> accessed
24 November 2018.

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problems were a failure in pursuing the agenda of AU as it somewhere affected on state
infrastructure and lacking in supporting systems.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND FAILURES
The regional Integrations’ most effective model includes the EU. By creating a single
market, the union owes the reputation for achieving the great economy of the euro introduction
and European citizenship establishments. Climate change is an issue of trans-boundary, which is
the platform of EU. The Pan- African parliament is a reformation of an institution of AU, which
is an inclusion of civil society through ECOSOCC, and NEPAD’s establishment that was
encouraged. These organs could give a potential change14. EU in today’s scenario is completely
different from the other Unions. Ben Rosamond once stated that, the EU is ‘by some extent – the
most advanced assignment of regional integration worldwide’. This is mainly because it has an
‘established set of organizations’. The present progressive stage of EU’s official development is
the result of additional five eras of integrative struggles involving the rising of countries,
growing from six to twenty-seven, since integrative challenges began in 1952 with the initiation
of the European steel and coal community.
INFLUENCING FACTORS
This report examines the link used in that theoretical and experiential literature analyses
Highlights of the key conclusion that the trade of intra-African is still very low even with the
existence of frequent trading blocs, there are also some of these contributions to local skill
14 Nasholan Chetty and Arthur Shirichena, 'Reforming The African Union System: Lessons From EU' [2016] SSRN
Electronic Journal.

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creation15. The trading blocs are not showing its influences on the poverty rates and the GDP
increments. There are various environmental factors such as social, economic, and political
encounters, they also deteriorate the African trading blocs and the skills that encourage
integration trade. Additionally, the positive impact on the intra-African trade along with the
economic growth improved16. For eliminating the blockades to engagement, and managing the
product flow, facilities, investment and the people they all are working together to form the
economic communities and the trading blocs, as they have encouraged by the African countries
for reintroducing the regional economic cooperation interest in Africa17. By being a big part of
trade internationally, they desired as to decrease the dependency on continents and the
industrialized economies.
In African communities, there were several regional exchanges. In addition, the local
manufactures in the pre-colonial Africa already made equivalent items that are worth to goods
through pre-industrial Europe18. Therefore, there are European merchants who have started a
business with Africa’s Atlantic coast, which created in long establishments, trading population
and that organized by the local rulers and they all were experienced for this field. Some of the
merchants from the communities such as- the Portuguese who settled close to African rivers,
15 Masahisa Fujita, 'THE DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN EAST ASIA: FROM THE
VIEWPOINT OF SPATIAL ECONOMICS' (2007) 19 Review of Urban & Regional Development Studies.
16 J. W. Musila, 'The Intensity Of Trade Creation And Trade Diversion In COMESA, ECCAS And ECOWAS: A
Comparative Analysis' (2005) 14 Journal of African Economies.
17Yener Kandogan, 'Trade Creation And Diversion Effects Of Europe's Regional Liberalization Agreements' [2005]
SSRN Electronic Journal.
18 Juyoung Cheong, Do Won Kwak and Kam Ki Tang, 'Can Trade Agreements Curtail Trade Creation And Prevent
Trade Diversion?' (2014) 23 Review of International Economics.

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where they use to deliver as mediators in between Africa and European traders. African were
profitable with the completed work of good such as clothes, jewelry, copper, iron and the
machine-driven toys where the European was obtaining the textiles, gum spices, ivory, and the
carvings. They have assimilated African slaves for delivering the low-priced and fortified labor
for their plantations and providing the intercontinental slave trade.
The African economics and the trade planned to aim the target of helping as providers of
short-cost manual labor and the no-worth-added fresh resources to the overseas markets and
marketplaces for factory-made products. Many of the jobs and employment happen casually
across badly managed borders19. There are many local trading blocs in African trading blocs. The
Major goal of African traders is to realize the improved regional integration from duties and the
financial unions, with some trade areas that are entirely free to participate including general
regulatory and the legitimate framework.
The former preferential trade area (PTA) has been swapped with the COMESA existed
from 1981. Formed as an institution of independent states and accepted on the certain agreement
that includes developing and human resources progress and the sensible use of regular resources.
The main target of it is the creation of a great and tough economy and a trading unit which is
capable of overwhelming all the difficulties and the obstacles or capable to face all the
challenges by the nation. It has an extensive range of series of other goals as well and that
includes its significances the advancement of security and the regional peace. In this approach,
the AU appears conscious of this slow and steady strategy, and appears to promise to it by
devices for producing worldwide European Union organs20. The provision, which been hailed
19 Anna Maria Mayda and Chad Steinberg, 'Do South-South Trade Agreements Increase Trade? Commodity-Level
Evidence From COMESA' (2009) 42 Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique.
20 Ludger Kühnhardt, African Regional Integration And The Role Of The European Union (Zentrum für Europ
Integrationsforschung 2008).

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extensively as the strongest and boldest statements by leaders of Africa and was rewritten
because of the administrative decision by Bush in 2003 to conquer Iraq21. Thus, at the largeness
of the destruction in western Sudan, African Union appeared untidy and undefined of the
appropriate reply, though it eventually sent around 800 around peacekeepers.
The AU needs to accelerate the formation of international establishments, utmost
particularly, the authorized Court of Justice. Court of law is important for deciding the disputes
and deducing the requirements mentioned in the Act. However, the Gathering predicted to stand
in and for the ACJ until it enters, as per to the article mentioned in the Act, the prearrangement is
nevertheless uneasy with the most possible problems22. primary demanding a group of Heads of
State and the Governmental arbitration cases that involves numerous of the old traditional ways
of performing business in a number of African countries— the nonappearance of a perfect and a
good intention with regards to separation of the supremacies and authorities. It suggests a
capable fight of concern. Secondary, it could be the cases that earlier were decided by the
Assembly for an appeal session to ACJ just after the selection of the apex court. The other task
is that wherever the Act, which is constitutive debates about the whole course of spread over for
association, and not cleared for the criteria related to membership23.
The utmost and best to do is to make sure of sticking together the as per the criteria by
finishing from the linked provisions in the Act. For an example, reasons for delaying and the
21 Fabrizio Carmignani, 'The Road To Regional Integration In Africa: Macroeconomic Convergence And
Performance In COMESA' (2006) 15 Journal of African Economies.
22 Shujiro Urata and Misa Okabe, 'Trade Creation And Diversion Effects Of Regional Trade Agreements: A Product-
Level Analysis' (2013) 37 The World Economy.
23 Arthur, 'ECOWAS And Regional Peacekeeping Integration In West Africa: Lessons For The Future' (2010) 57
Africa Today.

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roots for the burden of authorizations offer some of the hints24. It is quite a number of times
shown that any member state adjourned for coming to control through unconstitutional means,
then, a situation for membership duly constituted rule in accord with the constitutional provisions
of the country. In a different context, the government chose, especially ever since the goals of
the Union is to promote democratic principles. It is the aptitude to adopt the duties of
membership, giving out on all annual dues of a union of the reasonable amount of i.e., the budget
and will to admit the Union’s statement, as it would constitute key benchmarks. The aspect may
be far ado about nil, as because of just Morocco an African country that has stayed out of the
Union.
24 Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, John C. Anyanwu and Pedro Conceição, 'Regional Integration In Africa: An Introduction'
(2014) 26 African Development Review.

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CONCLUSION
The above-mentioned debate proves that integration regionally is a potential cure for
Africa’s disgraceful situation, and the AU has a huge and positive progress in that way.
Nevertheless, as the arguments also suggest, that to share the same names with the EU
institutions not always meant that the AU shares the same and related familiarity as the EU. For
starters, their situations related to history are now entirely different. Besides, the EU commences
with six people in a group, well-off countries, on the other hand, African Union begins with poor
mostly, and countries that very broadly in people, fiscal extent including the GDP’S and per
capita income, and so forth.
In direction for African Union to excel and lead, every one of its institutes must work as
per to the requirements of the concerned Act. Increase its financial mechanism by the union.
That is, in classic EU language, very “own resources.” of its resources. The In Charge work
efficiently with other associations at the worldwide level, while at the same time working as per
functionaries of co-member states. The requirements of the Act objectified properly, counting
and permitting public societies entrée to the ring for plan beginning, program design, policy
application, and rule settlement. The AU should work for the people of Africa and be relevant
from the ground level. It is the societies of Africa that are left out extensively and largely out of
the whole course, as because they are very less known regarding the African Union, or few
strategies such as the peer of the realm Assessment method and NEPAD. This desires to amend
by related more in the ways of Africa, and by also carrying judgment faster to the citizens, if the
African Union faiths and beliefs to convey.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Secondary Sources
Books
Frankel J, E SteinS Wei, Regional Trading Blocs In The World Economic System(Institute for
International Economics 1997)
Mayda AC Steinberg, 'Do South-South Trade Agreements Increase Trade? Commodity-Level
Evidence From COMESA' (2009) 42 Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne
d'économique
Ruiz Estrada M, 'Multi-Level Trade Creation And Trade Diversion Analysis: Theoretical
Framework' [2009] SSRN Electronic Journal
Tumwebaze HA Ijjo, 'Regional Economic Integration And Economic Growth In The COMESA
Region, 1980-2010' (2015) 27 African Development Review
Kühnhardt L, African Regional Integration And The Role Of The European Union (Zentrum für
Europ Integrationsforschung 2008)
Cases
Geda, Kebret A, 'Regional Economic Integration In Africa: A Review Of Problems And
Prospects With A Case Study Of COMESA' (2008) 17 Journal of African Economies
Kayizzi-Mugerwa S, J AnyanwuP Conceição, 'Regional Integration In Africa: An Introduction'
(2014) 26 African Development Review
Journal articles
Arthur, 'ECOWAS And Regional Peacekeeping Integration In West Africa: Lessons For The
Future' (2010) 57 Africa Today

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Barrett C, 'Smallholder Market Participation: Concepts And Evidence From Eastern And
Southern Africa' (2008) 33 Food Policy
Carmignani F, 'The Road To Regional Integration In Africa: Macroeconomic Convergence And
Performance In COMESA' (2006) 15 Journal of African Economies
Cheong J, D KwakK Tang, 'Can Trade Agreements Curtail Trade Creation And Prevent Trade
Diversion?' (2014) 23 Review of International Economics
Christopher B. Barrett, 'Smallholder Market Participation: Concepts And Evidence From Eastern
And Southern Africa' (2008) 33 Food Policy.
Fujita M, 'THE DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN EAST ASIA: FROM
THE VIEWPOINT OF SPATIAL ECONOMICS' (2007) 19 Review of Urban & Regional
Development Studies
Musila J, 'The Intensity Of Trade Creation And Trade Diversion In COMESA, ECCAS And
ECOWAS: A Comparative Analysis' (2005) 14 Journal of African Economies
Mzumara M, 'Increasing Supply Of Tradable Goods In The Common Market For Eastern And
Southern Africa (COMESA)' (1981) 1 Review of Economics and Development Studies
Tavengerwei R, 'Using Trade Facilitation to Assist Msmes In E-Commerce In Developing
Countries' (2018) 21 Journal of International Economic Law
Nita S, 'Regional Free Movement Of People: The Case Of African Regional Economic
Communities' (2013) 3 Regions and Cohesions
Chetty NA Shirichena, 'Reforming The African Union System: Lessons From EU' [2016] SSRN
Electronic Journal

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Online Journal
African Voices On Development And Social Justice, Editorials From Pambazuka News 2004
(Summary)' (Fahamubooks.org, 2018) <http://www.fahamubooks.org/book/?
GCOI=90638100741880&fa=sommaire> accessed 24 November 2018
Forum J, 'African CSO Concerns On Exclusion From AU Summits' (Globalpolicy.org, 2018)
<https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/177/31575.html> accessed 24
November 2018
Websites
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Agreements' [2005] SSRN Electronic Journal
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10168730903372257
Product-Level Analysis' (2013) 37 The World Economy http://www.ijrbem.com/doc/34.pdf
Urata SM Okabe, 'Trade Creation And Diversion Effects Of Regional Trade Agreements’.
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'Overview – COMESA SUMMIT 2018' (Comesasummit2018.org, 2018)
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TREATY ESTABLISHING THE AFRICAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (2018)