THE AFRICAN UNION AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN AFRICA

Improving regional cooperation and integration has long been a priority for African states and regional organisations.

- MANDIRA BAGWANDEEN

Following the independence of African countries, it became evident that African nations would struggle to attain the economic development standards of the developed world if they did not pursue some form of regional economic integration.

The African Union (AU) aims to create an “integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa” that is “driven and managed by its own citizens and represent[s] a dynamic force in the international arena.” To achieve this, the AU acknowledges that for “Africa to unite, political integration alone is insufficient and needs to be supplemented by economic integration.” In this regard, it places a significant emphasis on Africa’s Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to drive regional integration in collaboration with the AU.