It took 17 years of difficult negotiations, but at Sunday’s summit in Niger’s capital Niamey, the African Union (AU) finally launched the “operational phase” of the African Continental
Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Nations agreed to common “rules of origin, the monitoring and elimination of non-tariff barriers, a unified digital payments system and an African trade observatory dashboard,” according to the AU Commission.
A former political affairs commissioner of the AU, Aisha Laraba Abdullahi, told DW that fears that eliminating tariffs could harm some African economies are understandable.
There are more obstacles in the way of AfCFTA than just cutting tariffs, experts say. Lack of infrastructure, a fundamental condition for the functioning of trade, is a major problem.
CENTER FOR AFRICAN STUDIES
Center for Africa Studies (AFRAM) which located in Ankara, is an organization facilitating under the administration of African Affairs Council (AFAC). It makes various researches about Africa to enhance economic and cultural bounds between Africa and Turkey. AFRAM’s publishings has been shared with different institutions as they require to obtain.
AFRICA OBSERVATORY
Africa Observatory is one the publishing of AFRAM and it has been published each two weeks. It has been delivered to different institutions via e-mail.
