Regional Integration and Challenges of Implementation in Africa: Some Missing Gaps

Abstract

The Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community (AEC) of 1991, or the Abuja Treaty, targets continental integration as a strategy for, among other things, the promotion of economic, social and cultural development in Africa (Abuja Treaty 1991). The strategy for establishing the AEC is the formation of Regional Economic Communities (RECs), which should provide the foundation on which the AEC should stand. On this basis, the African Union (AU) identified eight such RECs across Africa. These RECs include Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), East African Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Union du Maghreb Arabe (UMA) (African Union, undated). Against this backdrop, this chapter seeks to analyze the actual implementation and practice of regional integration. It argues that the current actualization of regional integration appears to miss some important aspects in the form of the activities of non-state actors. The result of this is that regional integration in Africa is moving ahead of a significant part of its citizenry.