Mataifa ya Afrika yameafikiana kwenye azimio la biashara huru baina ya nchi za Kiafrika, wote wametia saini kasoro nchi chache ambazo zipo zimenuna kupita maelezo. Hizi ni Eritrea, Benin na Tanzania.
Kulingana na itifaki ni kwamba sio lazima wote watie saini, imesalia nchi moja ikitia saini basi shughuli zinaanza, Ethiopia walikua wamenuna ila wameshawishika na kutia saini juzi. Na kwa vile siku hizi Ethiopia na Eritrea wanaendana, nategemea hao Eritrea watatia hivi karibuni halafu milango ifungwe na shguhuli za kuratibu mkataba zianze.
Kawaida Watanzania tumewazoea wao wapo wapo tu, hununia kila kitu hata huku EAC tumechelewa sana kwa ajili yao, ni wagumu sana kufahamu chochote huchukua miaka kabla chochote kiwaingie au wakielewe, sijui ni mfumo wa elimu au ujamaa au nini huwadumaza hivi, lazima wakutane vikao vya kula posho ila kwa sasa hatuwategemei tena maana Afrika inaelekea kufunguka yote, wao wakipata akili watazinduka na kuchangamkia japo watatukuta tupo mbali.
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Hii ramani inaonyesha mataifa yalivyotia saini
Ethiopia last week ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), leaving only one more ratification for it to take effect.
Twenty-two ratifications are required for the agreement to enter into force and so far 21 countries have ratified their instruments.
Since the March 2018 AU Summit in Kigali when the continental pact was launched and signed by 44 states, eight more — South Africa, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Burundi, Namibia, Guinea Bissau, Botswana and Zambia — have signed. Only Eritrea, Benin, Nigeria and Tanzania remain.
To date, 15 countries — Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Niger, Chad, Congo Republic, Djibouti, Guinea, eSwatini, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, South Africa, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire — have deposited their instruments of AfCFTA ratification with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. Sierra Leone, Senegal, Togo, Egypt and Zimbabwe have received parliamentary approvals for ratification.
According to Stephen Karingi, director of the Regional Integration and Trade Division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the remaining items for discussion on the AfCFTA are competition, provisions for investment, intellectual property and e-commerce. So far the protocols on goods, services and dispute settlement have been completed and their annexes will be ready by July.
“The second phase of negotiations on the remaining clauses will begin soon,” We expect that the discussions will be concluded early 2021,” said Dr Karingi.
Only one country needed to realise Africa single market