I came across some news that left me with more questions than clarity, so it’s only right that I share it with you all. The following information comes from Africa News.

Eritrea still has not signed the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, AfCFTA. Their Minister of Information, Yemane Meskel, stated that Eritrea’s government is advocating for regional integration over continental aspirations.

The following was advised, by way of Twitter.

In terms of the academic discourse on ACFTA, Eritrea’s long-held stance is crystal-clear. First articulated at the 1994 OAU Summit, GOE’s pragmatic position transcends abstract platitudes to focus on incremental / achievable results; i.e nurturing first the building blocs or RECs.

The African Union’s goal is to create a continent-wide trade market for 1.2 billion people that’ll be worth $2.5 trillion.

Reading that Eritrea’s government is more invested in regional integration than “continental aspirations” makes them come across very condescending and snob-like. AfCFTA could lead to a 60% boom in intra-trade throughout the continent, and seeing as how Africa isn’t sovereign and still dependent on others, it would make better sense for everyone to get on code.

To check out the full article, click here. If you have any additional information, feel free to comment below.

Until Next Time…