Africa’s Integration: Overcoming Colonial Legacies & Trade Barriers | Free Trade & Regional Resilience

In a rapidly fracturing world, the potential for greater regional integration offers a path toward resilience for the African continent. In 2019, the African Union agreed to establish the African Continental Free Trade Area, building upon the foundations laid by eight existing regional economic communities: the Arab Maghreb Union, Comesa, Cen-Sad, the East African Community, Eccas, Ecowas, IGAD, and SADC. However, progress toward this integration has been slow, despite decades of discussion and planning.

Historical Obstacles to Integration

As far back as 1973, the World Bank identified a larger regional market as a key to increasing production and overcoming long-term development obstacles. These obstacles included infrastructure deficits, challenges with payment and settlement systems, and political risk – issues that continue to plague the continent today. Analysis of regionalism in Africa over the last three decades suggests four primary reasons for this persistent struggle.

Colonial Legacy and Dependency

The roots of the current challenges trace back to the Berlin West Africa Conference of 1885, where European powers and the United States essentially appointed themselves regulators of trade and “civilization” in Africa. A 1973 study found that most post-colonial regional integration arrangements were “based on pre-independence links and institutions.” For example, the East African Common Market evolved from Britain’s colonial East African Federation, and its subsequent expansion has reportedly come “at the price of cohesion.”

Ecowas stands out as the first arrangement to largely transcend these patterns of colonial dependency, encompassing countries formerly under French, Portuguese, and British rule. However, even Ecowas, fifty years after its founding, continues to navigate complex dynamics. Post-colonial association agreements between the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries often prioritize the extraction of raw materials for processing in Europe, hindering the development of local industries in Africa.

The Informal Economy

Colonial rule often suppressed or took over existing indigenous enterprise, driving much economic activity underground. Governments since independence have largely failed to address this historical pattern, sometimes even criminalizing informal business practices. As recently as 2023, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa estimated that informal cross-border trade represents between 30% and 72% of formal trade between neighboring countries, effectively excluding a significant portion of African enterprise from the benefits of regional integration.

Integration as an Add-On

African countries often approach regional integration as an addition to existing colonial arrangements, rather than a fundamental reimagining of economic relationships. There are currently over 156 such arrangements in place across the continent’s 55 countries, creating significant overlaps in membership and objectives. The African Union’s recognition of eight regional economic communities was intended to address this issue, but overlaps persist. For instance, Tanzania and the DRC both belong to the EAC and SADC, while Eritrea and Sudan were simultaneously members of IGAD, Comesa, and Cen-Sad.

Mission Creep and Lack of Clarity

Popular resentment against continuing colonial projects is reportedly high in some parts of Africa, but translating this sentiment into constructive action requires political vision. Recent events, such as the exit of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from Ecowas following disputes with France, demonstrate the fragility of these arrangements. However, these countries remain part of l’UEMOA, whose currency system is backed by France.

Beyond economic issues, Africa’s regional integration regimes have also taken on responsibilities related to collective security and governance oversight, leading to what is described as “mission creep.” The outcomes of these expanded mandates have been “unconvincing and destabilizing,” as evidenced by the recent departures from Ecowas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the eight regional economic communities underpinning the African Continental Free Trade Area?

The eight regional economic communities are the Arab Maghreb Union, Comesa, Cen-Sad, the East African Community, Eccas, Ecowas, IGAD, and SADC.

What obstacles to regional integration were identified by the World Bank in 1973?

The World Bank identified infrastructure deficits, payment and settlement systems, and political risk as key obstacles to development and regional integration.

How has colonial history impacted regional integration efforts in Africa?

Many post-colonial regional integration arrangements were built upon pre-independence links and institutions, perpetuating patterns of dependency and hindering a complete reimagining of economic relationships.

Without a clear and shared political commitment to a common future, African governments may struggle to reconcile the competing priorities of economic integration, collective security, and governance. The success of the African Continental Free Trade Area and other regional initiatives may depend on prioritizing these goals and fostering a more cohesive and focused approach to integration.