The path leading to the merger between the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) to comply with the spirit and letter of the Union African (AU) which advocates the existence of a single grouping per region is still long.
Regional integration in Central Africa remains dominated by the lack of real political will from leaders to achieve the creation of a single institution. However, this institutional bipolarization has shown its limits because it undoubtedly constitutes a brake on development. In all likelihood, even the entry into force on January 1, 2021 of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ZECLAF) supposed to boost this unitary dynamic has not yet brought the expected fruits.
As much as the CEMAC made up of six States (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad) seems to form a homogeneous community regardless of some political procrastination, we do not find this dynamic in the case of ECCAS, made up of the states mentioned in addition, plus Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sao Tome and Principe. Indeed, Angola, Burundi and the DRC are at the same time members of the regional groupings of East and Southern Africa like SADC, which dilutes their involvement in the functioning of the ECCAS.
Following the resolutions of the heads of state, the president of the ECCAS Commission Gilberto Da Piedade Verrissimo and the president of the CEMAC Commission Daniel Ona Ondo met on February 24, 2021 in Libreville, Gabon, “within the framework of dialogue between the two institutions, the objective of which is to work in synergy to find and implement suitable solutions, facilitating regional integration, accelerating economic transformation and fostering economic development and social responsibility of the sub-region ”.
A market of more than 200 million consumers
According to reliable information, the state of play of the institutional reform process of ECCAS and the expected objectives of the new Commission by 2025 are not satisfactory. This involves, among other things, the continuation of the said reform with in particular the operationalization of the community integration bodies that are the parliament, the court of justice, the court of accounts, the central bank. With a view to achieving a beneficial structural transformation, other projects are still the subject of discussions, in particular the Community Integration Tax (TCI) “whose effective application would have enabled an even greater development of our sub-sector. -region “. According to the president of CEMAC, “a lot has been done, especially with regard to texts, regulations and institutions, but the road to achieving satisfaction is still long”.
Faced with these multifaceted challenges, the two parties agreed to sign “as soon as possible, a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the need for the two Commissions to work in symbiosis in order to achieve a coordinated and coherent convergence of the programs. and joint projects as desired by the Heads of State and Government ”. Beyond a visibly voluntarist official discourse, it is difficult to make progress from the Steering Committee for the rationalization of Regional Economic Communities in Central Africa (Copil / CER-AC) set up for a few years in the initiative of regional leaders. A delay which reflects the state of mind of those in power who seem to adapt to the status quo.
ECCAS is a market of more than 200 million inhabitants and is the least integrated region in Africa, with an exchange rate of only around 3% against a continental average of around 17%, while the glaring insufficiency means of communication constitute an enormous obstacle to community integration. In addition, the adoption of the draft Constitutive Treaty and draft conventions and protocols to govern the institutions, bodies and implementing agencies that will form the new community institutional architecture after the approval of the Heads of State are still expected.
What to hope that the summit of ECCAS scheduled for February 27, 2021 in Luanda, Angola, will allow Central Africa to determine itself more in the reaffirmed option of the establishment of a single community institution, real catalyst for integration and development in Africa.
