On 31 October 2017 in N’djamena, Chad, the heads of state and governments meeting in extraordinary conference ratified the measure on the free movement of persons and goods. this measure, which is essential for the creation of a common market, will make it easier for member countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community to overcome the obstacles in their commercial transactions and exchanges between them.
This 45-year process involves Congo, Chad, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Central Africa. This issue of free movement has always been on the negotiating table for many years during the various meetings of CEMAC heads of state.
In 1912, the UDEAC, the customs and economic union of Central Africa, the organization that is the ancestor of the CEMAC, had already recognized the free movement of people but it was never applied by the Member States.
The year 2000, when CEMAC was founded in the Equatorial Guinean capital, in Malabo, a glimmer of hope was born. A year that represented a turning point in the issue of free movement of goods and people. However, the idea of an AIR CEMAC airline and a common biometric passport had been put forward but never saw the light of day.
Despite this delay in getting all states to agree on the need for this regional project, negotiations will continue at each summit. Two countries will oppose their right of veto: Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, oil producing states, sparsely populated and relatively prosperous compared to the country of their counterparts. Both blocks feared massive immigration to their territory.
This tursday October 31, 2017, the signing of this agreement of free movement of goods and people represents a significant advance. A landmark decision for CEMAC member countries.
The objective of the regional organization is to strengthen the bilateral monetary and customs relations between the Member States and to clear the geographical borders to coordinate economic, social and industrial development programs, the signature of this measure will strengthen all this mechanism and create a real African common market. However, for the viability of this ambitious project, three major factors must be tackled: the introduction of biometric passports, the generalized coordination of the police and security services of the various Member States and the respect of labor regulations for good harmonization.
It remains to take advantage of the economic spinoffs. Namely, the six CEMAC member countries whose common currency is the CFA franc represents a huge market of 30 million consumers and the horizon 2050 will be a real nest of young people, potential support for the development of economic leverage. 1.7 billion CFA francs were released by the CEMAC when the agreement was signed to accompany the application of the free movement of goods and people.
