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February 6, 2019
Categories
  • Africa Integrity insights
  • Central Africa
  • East Africa
  • North Africa
  • Southern Africa
  • West Africa
Tags
  • AfCFTA
  • African Union
  • Free Trade
  • Infrastructure
  • President Donald Trump
  • USA

Africa Unites 

On 21st March 2018, 44 of the African Union’s 55 member states signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which seeks to remove tariffs on 90 percent of continental trade. This was a significant step forward in increasing intra-African trade, which lags behind other regions, and could act as an important foundation for the diversification of African economies. Currently, as a percentage of total African exports, intra-African trade accounts for less than 20 percent, whilst in Europe and Asia such trade accounts for over 50 percent. The African Union has projected that implementation of the agreement could increase intra-African trade by more than 52 percent and it has put specific emphasis on diversifying away from extractive industries. This should provide a growing number of investment opportunities for both African and foreign investors. The agreement also has the potential to trigger investment in much needed cross-border infrastructure, opening up land-locked countries in the continent’s interior. Although the AfCFTA is in its early days and, at the time of writing, still requires ratification by at least four more country governments to come into force, it is symbolic of Africa’s economic growth and has the potential to act as a strong foundation for local economies.

US Disengagement

While it is not possible to point to a single event that showed US disengagement with Africa, the Trump administration’s approach to the continent throughout 2018 revealed Africa’s peripheral position in US foreign policy. From allegedly using derogatory language to describe African countries, to sacking his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, during his trip to the continent, President Donald Trump showed his disdain towards Africa. As any discussions during Tillerson’s trip to Africa were effectively undone by his sacking, the Trump administration’s primary diplomatic engagement with the continent in 2018 was through Melania Trump’s visit on behalf of USAID. The fact that this trip is mostly remembered for the First Lady’s decision to wear a colonial-era pith helmet on a safari in Kenya, not only revealed the lack of diplomatic weight attached to it, but also a disregard for Africa’s history on the part of the current administration. Although this approach has not caused a rift between the US and Africa, it would have certainly reinforced the continent’s close alignment with China and reoriented countries towards other outside powers, diplomatically, economically and militarily. Turkey, Russia and the UAE are just a few examples of the countries which have recently increased their engagement with Africa and are likely to take advantage of the US disengagement with the continent.

 

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AFRICA INTEGRITY INSIGHTS

Twitter

Reform of #Nigeria’s petrol subsidy will be a key political issue for the new administration in the wake of next month’s election. With the cost-of-living worsening, any attempt to remove or cut the subsidy will trigger strong resistance #NigeriaDecides2023

Reuters Africa@ReutersAfrica

Nigeria will keep its costly but popular petrol subsidy until mid-2023 and has set aside 3.36 trillion naira ($7.5 bln) to spend on it, Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed said on Wednesday. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigeria-spend-75-bln-petrol-subsidy-mid-2023-2023-01-04/#:~:text=ABUJA%2C%20Jan%204%20(Reuters),Zainab%20Ahmed%20said%20on%20Wednesday.

Following the expulsion of a senior UN official and removal of Burkina Faso from the US AGOA trade program, reports that authorities are calling for the French ambassador to be recalled indicate the growing tensions between #BurkinaFaso and its traditional international partners

Jeune Afrique@jeune_afrique

Au #BurkinaFaso, les autorités de transition ne veulent plus avoir affaire à Luc Hallade, l'#ambassadeur français. « La question est plus de savoir ce que nous souhaitons faire de notre relation bilatérale », commente une source officielle à #Paris.
http://ow.ly/UQbZ50MhauL

Earlier this year, we examined the relationship between the conflict in Ukraine, food insecurity and societal instability in Africa. As Africa’s food crisis worsens in 2023, what will be the impact on social cohesion on the continent? #Africa #foodsecurity

Reuters Africa@ReutersAfrica

Across Africa, people are experiencing a food crisis that is bigger and more complex than the continent has ever seen, say diplomats and humanitarian workers https://reut.rs/3Yms7Mg
1/7

#Nigeria: Next year’s election looks set to be one of the most competitive in the country’s history, with a third-party candidate shaking up the contest. We examine the implications of this on our Africa Integrity Insights blog https://africa-integrity.com/nigeria-2023-a-three-horse-race #Nigeriadecides2023

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