The designation of the future boss of Zlecaf on the agenda of the AU summit

On March 21, 2018, 44 African Union countries meeting in Rwanda had signed the agreement creating the Zlecaf. © STR / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

African heads of state are starting to arrive in Addis Ababa for the 33rd summit of the African Union, which takes place Sunday and Monday in the Ethiopian capital. A summit during which the heads of state must appoint the future boss of Zlecaf, the continental free trade area, officially launched on July 1.

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Will the first secretary general of Zlecaf be from South Africa, Nigeria or the DRC? According to several sources, the candidates from these three countries are on the short-list. The heads of state will have to choose. We already know that it is the city of Accra in Ghana that will house the headquarters.

During this summit, Nigerian President Mahamadou Issoufou must present a progress report . According to several negotiators, to date, discussions on trade in goods have ended.

By 1 July next, the States must file their tariff dismantling calendar: 90% of goods liberalized within 10 years.

Negotiations on trade in services are, however, still ongoing. They are expected to end in December 2020 in five priority sectors: communication, transport, finance, tourism and professional services.

Main obstacle according to an expert: the respect of the rules of origin, those which define the provenance of the products which will have been liberalized in order to avoid fraud in re-export.

" Last July, at the official launch, it was poetry, the African Union must now tackle the prose, " quips a diplomat.

► Read also: Is Zlec really an opportunity for Africa?

■ “ Capitalize on acquired experiences ”

For the African Union's Commissioner for the Economy, the Malagasy Victor Harison, it will be necessary to build on past experiences, because free trade zones are not new on the continent.

For me, the best way to make the continental free trade area succeed is to capitalize on the experiences acquired in certain regional economic communities.

Victor Harison, AU Commissioner of Economy

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  • African Union
  • Zlecaf
  • Trade and Exchanges
  • Ethiopia

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