Southern African leaders are meeting in Madagascar to decide how to make the region more self-reliant and less vulnerable to global economic shocks after years of instability and falling foreign aid.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit gets underway in Antananarivo on Sunday, with Madagascar taking the bloc's rotating presidency for the first time.
Leaders from 16 countries will set the course for the region's future, discussing how to boost trade from within and cut dependence on outside partners.
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The theme this year is clear: remove barriers, move goods faster and keep more value at home.
Opening the SADC Council of Ministers on Tuesday, executive secretary Elias Magosi said the region is being squeezed by higher customs tariffs, shrinking aid and political unrest abroad.
"It is becoming increasingly evident that we are more likely to succeed when we depend more on our own resources than on external support over which we have absolutely no control," he said.
"To achieve this, we must strengthen intra-regional trade, remove trade barriers and invest in essential infrastructure."
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Building up manufacturing
SADC wants manufacturing to make up 30 percent of its GDP by 2030, nearly triple today's 11 percent. The aim is to build an economy that can keep going when the global market stumbles.
Madagascar's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rafaravavitafika Rasata - who chairs the Council of Ministers - said all member states need to be part of the plan.
"By combining the maritime, economic, environmental and cultural potential of the islands with the resources and agricultural and industrial power of the continental member states, we can build the autonomous and competitive SADC we want," she said.
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Political tensions
The summit comes at a time of political strain in Madagascar. Former presidents Marc Ravalomanana and Hery Rajaonarimampianina have criticised holding the event in Antananarivo.
In a joint statement, they accused President Andry Rajoelina's government of presiding over a worsening political and economic climate.
They cited alleged restrictions on peaceful protests, what they called the "llack of real independence" of the electoral commission, and a situation in which 80 percent of the population live below the poverty line.
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They warned that pressing ahead without tackling these issues "would undermine the credibility of the SADC".
Rajoelina rejected their accusations, saying his predecessors were trying to discourage SADC leaders from attending. He called the summit an historic opportunity for both Madagascar and the region as the island takes the bloc's leadership for the first time.
