JAPAN and the WORLD Magazine JULY ISSUE 2015 #Issue 12

The African Union secretariat, established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital Credits: Selamta Magazine its neighboring countries. The establishment of COMESA fulfilled the requirement set by the Preferential Trade Area for Western and Southern Africa (PTA) to become a common market. COMESA has 19 member states with a population of over 450 million and it forms a major market place for both internal and external trading. Currently, the COMESA is one of the most progressive regional economic integration schemes in Southern and Eastern Africa. IGAD was formed in 1986 with the mandate to deal with drought and desertification in the Horn of Africa. Later, IGAD would become a forum for regional security and political dialogue. With the 1996 agreement in place, IGAD’s primary objective switched to promoting joint development strategies and gradually harmonizing macro- economic policies in regard to trade, customs, transport, communication, agriculture, and natural resources; promoting the free movement of goods, services, and people; and the establishment of residence. Given its achievement in political cooperation and security matters in the region, IGAD could be one of the more successful regional integration schemes if the transition to economic integration is fully materialized. Currently, IGAD has seven members with a total population of around 240 million and a GDP of over USD 230 billion. There are various factors that affect the speedy process of regional as well as continental integration. A major factor is the general lack of proper infrastructure, transportation, and communication necessary to integrate these economies. The enormous landmass of Africa requires road and railway infrast ructure, which in turn require a huge investment that is unaffordable to most countries in Africa. The colonial legacy largely contributed to these structural issues, as colonies were more directly connected with the metropolitan areas than their neighboring countries in many respects. Overlapping memberships and political differences have impeded progress of many regional integration schemes in Africa, particularly those in East Africa. With all pending issues in fully integrating its economy with the regional bloc, there is an appreciable level of beneficial interactions between Ethiopia and other COMESA member states. As the host state of the African Union, Ethiopia plays a leading role for the cooperation and integration of African countries. Ethiopia is connected with all its neighbors, including the newborn nation of South Sudan, by road transportation and fiber optics; moreover, the construction of new railways that connect Ethiopia with the main port cities of Djibouti and Tadjoura are to be completed early next year. There is also a national program to construct railways towards other neighboring countries in addition to the highways that have already connected the sub-region. of Africa, is also serving as a catalyst for wider economic integration by connecting different corners of the continent. In addition to Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, Ethiopian Airlines has established regional hubs in Western and Southern Africa. Ethiopia, in its utmost efforts to generate clean energy and embrace light manufacturing, has announced a strategy to reach the middle income level for Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy and set a target for zero CO2 emission in 2025. GENERAL INFORMATION COMESA, EAC AND SADC 01. 26 countries 26か国 02. Population: 527 million 人口: 5億2700万人 03. GDP: USD 624 billion GDP: 6,240億米ドル 04. Three RECs have signed a unified regional integration policy agreement. 三つの地域経済共同体が統一的な地域統合政策の規約を署名しました。ア Ethiopian government’s current initiative フリカ連合（AU）は、2001年5月26 of exporting energy to the neighboring countries has already begun in Djibouti and 日、アディスアベバに設立されました。 Sudan; furthermore, the transmission line 同じくアディスアベバに1963年5月 and substations connecting with Kenya are 25日に創設されたアフリカ統一機構 under construction. One of the frameworks of （OAU）に取って代わるのが狙いでした。アフリカ連 agreement with Sudan and Egypt has included 合はアフリカの54カ国で構成される大陸全域にわ the importance of exporting electricity to such たる連合です。アフリカ連合の理念は、植民地主義に countries from the new power project under 対するアフリカの抵抗やアフリカ大陸内での独立闘 construction on the Nile River, which will 争の意識に深く根ざしています。アフリカン・ディアス generate 6,000 megawatts of power. Such a ポラと米州における汎アフリカ主義運動にも強く関 move seeks to lay the base for strong economic 係しています。OAUの主な目的としてとりわけ、アフ integration in Eastern Africa. Ethiopian Airlines, which has the biggest network inside リカ統合を確実にすることや、アフリカ解放を支援 JULY 2015 // 25

JAPAN and the WORLD Magazine JULY ISSUE 2015 #Issue 12 | Page 25