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Central Africa: CEMAC Summits Change but Issues Stagnate
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Cameroon Tribune (Yaoundé)
24 June 2008
Posted to the web 24 June 2008
Richard Kwang Kometa
The building blocks of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, CEMAC, have existed since the countries of the sub-region gained their independence from colonial masters. Initially they operated under the banner of a union, called UDEAC but things proved unworkable and by June 1999 the name changed to CEMAC although the leitmotiv remained the same; namely free movement of goods and persons of the sub-region and the integration of the economic and social life of the people.
Cameroon will today host the ninth session of the summit after that in Chad which took place on 25 April 2007. Since the N'Djamena Summit, several high-level exchanges have taken place among member states of CEMAC.
With Cameroon as the chair of the ninth summit of the sub-regional movement, President Paul Biya was in Gabon last year to attend the 17 August National Day in Libreville. Earlier, on 30 March 2007 President Obiang Ngeuma Mbasogo of the Equatorial Guinea, who is heading the current reform efforts within CEMAC, was in Cameroon to concert with President Biya after the postponement of the CEMAC Summit in Chad on 17 March 2007. By April 25th when leaders of the sub-region regrouped in Chad, the burning issues on table for debate were still the content of reforms that had as ambition to render CEMAC more dynamic.
Such issues that have kept preoccupying CEMAC member countries include security within the CEMAC Sub-region, economic integration, the putting in place of the CEMAC Airlines Company as well as the implementation of CEMAC reforms initiated in 2006 during the summit meeting in Bata, Equatorial Guinea. All these centre on the question of giving CEMAC a greater push towards meeting set objectives.
Most public declarations after official ceremonies involving authorities of any of the CEMAC member countries, have often sounded positive about the future of CEMAC. Good as this may be, the reality on the ground remains uncertain. Cases of harassment at the frontiers of CEMAC member-countries abound. CEMAC citizens are yet to enjoy the fruits of the much-talked-of free movement of goods and people. Even living comfortably in some CEMAC countries as a CEMAC citizen is very difficult.
With the persistence of ethnic conflicts within the CEMAC zone, security has remained a pipe dream. The movement of refugees, that often results from civil wars, has often carried with it insecurity. The small arms that the refuges often have facilitate criminality within CEMAC.
Given the difficulties in overcoming the initial barriers that UDEAC and now CEMAC set out to correct, it has been difficult moving the sub-region forward because each year seems like the other. The reform process within the sub-region that is expect to take a decisive turn in the Yaounde summit must therefore serve as a catalyst for unity and progress within the CEMAC zone. Governments of CEMAC countries must work to shelf their egoistic nationalistic feelings and recognise the importance of forming a bigger bloc that can better defend the interests of their peoples.
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