Proposed CEMAC/ECCAS Merger: Experts Review Legal Instruments

By Victorine BIY, Cameroon Tribune

Members of the Steering Committee to Rationalise the Economic Communities in Central Africa met in Yaounde on January 27, 2015.

Countries of the Central African sub-region like many others in the world are struggling to emerge. But the stumbling block, experts say, is the multiplicity of its economic blocs. By deciding that countries of the continent be divided into economic blocs, the African Union, saw a situation whereby such countries

will easily emerge economically through such tutelage organisations.

But seemingly, the much desired economic emergence in countries of the Central African sub-region is proving tough, reason being that the region alone has two communities unlike others; the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, CEMAC, and the Economic Community of Central African States, ECCAS, with each, having different legal instruments.

To facilitate trade and boost the economies of the countries of the two communities, experts are seeking rational ways of functioning; harmonising the mechanisms and the duties of the two communities. Thus, the Steering Committee to Rationalise the Economic Communities in Central Africa, COPIL/CER met in Yaounde yesterday January 27, 2015 to re-read texts submitted to government by a private consulting firm, Agora-Consulting.

The chair of the day, the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi reechoed the AU’s determination since its resolution 464 of the 26^th Council of Ministers of 1984 which configures the Central African Sub-region to 11 States: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda and Sao Tome and Principe.

The Abuja Treaty, recommended five blocks for the continent with the creation of one economic community for the Central African sub-region. Nganou Djoumessi restated the commitment of member States to give a push to regional integration through the respect of the AU prescriptions by carving out one regional community for the sub-region as a quest to push development forward.