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The Necessity Energizing of Regional Integration Agreements in Central Africa

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  • Ndong Ntah, Marcellin

Abstract

With a view of overcoming structural handicaps of their development and to reaping advantages on regional integration, Central African countries committed themselves upon independences to regional integration’s initiatives. In fact, regional integration in Central Africa has a long history, even dating from colonial era when the countries other than Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea formed the federal of “Afrique Equatoriale Française”. In 1964 in Brazzaville (Congo), the regime promoting intra-regional trade, UDEAC (Union Douanière et Economique de l’Afrique Central) was formed. Reflecting an inward-looking regionalism of the 1960’s, UDEAC resulted in the creation of a highly distorted, fragmented, and ad hoc, import-substitution trade policy under the guise of regional integration. In 1994, UDEAC was restructured to face challenges related to excessive protection, low customs revenue, intra-regional distortions in production, and the low level of trade with the rest of the world. It was also renamed the Central African Economic Union (Union Economique de l’Afrique Central – UEAC). UEAC and the “Union Monétaire de l’Afrique Central” became the CEMAC (Central Afriacn Economic and Monetary Union) under a treaty signed in 1994. So, our paper will deal with CEMAC’s countries that are the following: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. These six (6) countries are partially linked by economies ties and more by history. With its vast geographic area of roughly 3 million square kilometres, Central Africa is the smallest sub-region of the current African regional arrangements with a population of about 31 million inhabitants. About 40 yeas after les independences, and despite countries’ infatuation and their potentials for a regional integration, progress towards regional integration has been very modest, apart from a few tariff reductions. In this respect, our paper will propose measures aimed at revamping regional integration in Central Africa (section 2). Prior to that, we will make an evaluation of regional integration’s initiatives in Central Africa (Section 1).

Suggested Citation

  • Ndong Ntah, Marcellin, 2006. "The Necessity Energizing of Regional Integration Agreements in Central Africa," Conference papers 331526, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:pugtwp:331526
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