By RFIPalled on 07-07-2019Modified on 07-07-2019 at 22:29

A plaque was unveiled in Niamey, the Zlec officially enters its operational phase. The Continental Economic Free Trade Zone was put on track this Sunday night in the Nigerian capital, on the occasion of an extraordinary summit of the African Union. 32 heads of state made the trip for the birth of this African common market.

This is the starting point for Zlec or Zlecaf, as it is called, a new entity that should allow to multiply intra-African trade and thus accelerate the development of the continent.

Heads of State and Government have therefore formally launched this free trade area and agreed on some of the instruments to be put in place to enable it to function, particularly with regard to online tariff offers, digital payment and the African Trade Observatory.

The choice of Accra as the seat of the future permanent secretariat of this Zlec has been validated, it has also been confirmed that the area will only come into full effect in one year, 1 July 2020.

During the launching ceremony, the names of the countries that signed this agreement were ginned: they are 54. Only Eritrea did not sign it; Nigeria and Benin did it this morning. A total of 27 countries have ratified this text, the last two having done so Sunday morning are Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

For many, this launch is a historic moment. Opening this morning, Nigerian President Mahamadou Issoufou said that this was the most important event in the life of the African continent since the creation of the OAU and its transformation into an African Union.

The African Continental Free Trade Area we are launching today is one of the most emblematic projects on the African agenda ...

For Moussa Faki Mahamat, the president of the African Union Commission, this is an old dream come true.

07-07-2019 - By RFI

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