BREAKING NEWS
AFRICA: No more borders between CEMAC member countries.
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.
Sixty-four people including 49 civilians and 15 soldiers were killed Thursday, September 07, 2023 in two “terrorist attacks claimed” by Al Qaeda and targeting a passenger transport boat and an army base in northern Mali, where a three-day national mourning was decreed from Friday, the military-dominated government announced.
The two separate attacks targeted “the boat Timbuktu” on the Niger River and “the position of the army” in Bamba, in the region of Gao (north), with “a provisional toll of 49 civilians and 15 soldiers killed”, according to a government statement that does not specify how many people died on the ship and in the camp, assaults “claimed” by an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group.
Malian music star Salif Keïta has been appointed advisor to the head of the junta, Colonel Assimi Goïta, says a decree issued Monday, August 14, 2023.
The artist is part of a list of five people named “special advisers” to the Malian head of state, says the decree dated August 11. The text does not specify the role of Salif Keïta.
The great name of afropop and World Music, Salif Keïta, 73, also stands out for his political commitment and, since the advent of the colonels following a putsch in 2020, for his support of the junta.
He was appointed one week after the announcement of his resignation from an assembly set up by the military as a legislative body.
“I will always remain the undisputed friend of the military of my country,” he said in his letter of resignation read in the gallery.
Mr. Keïta publicly expressed his support for the sovereignty discourse of the authorities. He openly called a few months ago for the departure of the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSMA), since officially announced by the UN Security Council.
Since 2012, Mali has been plagued by jihadist expansion and a deep multidimensional crisis. Violence from the north has spread to central Burkina Faso and neighbouring Niger.
The Senegalese head of state left Dakar for Abuja on Sunday, May 28, 2023. President Macky SALL will attend the inauguration of Nigerian President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Upon his departure, the President of the Republic was greeted by the Prime Minister and other civil and military authorities. The head of state will return to Dakar tomorrow Monday.
Born in Lagos eight years before independence, Bola Tinubu is a veteran of the capital. An influential politician, he was notably a senator and governor of the State of Lagos. Considered a unifying force within his party, but controversial outside because sometimes cited in corruption cases, Tinubu will have a major challenge, that of recovering the national economy.
With a population of more than 219.4 million people, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and sixth in the world. The continent’s largest economy, however, is facing a slowdown exacerbated by recent global crises. Here inflation has risen above 20% in the second half of 2022, youth unemployment, recurrent shortages of nairas and fuel are all evils to be solved in a sustainable way.
Although Nigeria can count on a dynamic private sector with a large number of billionaires and millionaires, Bola Tinubu -whose inauguration will take place next May- will have to set the macroeconomic record straight.
Source : Ze-Africanews.com
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