Intra-African Relations

Intra-African Relations:

This aspect of the Center's research involves the weak-links in respective African states and their impact on the continent's institutional architecture, security and economic development on the continent. The goal with this line of research is to uncover critical potential areas the continent could help to harness and integrate its diverse resources in its own development as well as shape international agenda to its benefit.

Intra-African relations is critical to the development of the respective African states in particular, and the continent in general. At the political and security end of the relations, African states need each other to reinforce political stability and security in the region. As a result of the porous borders within Africa, and governments’ inability to secure those borders, positive relations between neighboring states are critical to stability and development in the region. It is often the case that most serious threats of states within Africa start from the fringes of those states. Thus, collaborative effort by neighboring states to ensure the establishment of effective democratic political systems and good governance is imperative. This relations could also have some security benefits as states watch out for their neighbors and disrupt any rebel activities across their common borders.

At the economic end, and with a population estimated at 1.1 billion (15 percent) of total world population of 7.1 billion, the continent should be a force to reckon with regarding the stability of the global market and potentially ensuring a healthy world economy. Intra-African trade is currently estimated at 11 percent of global African trade.

CESDOSED researches intra-African trade and economic relations. It examines the situation from historical and cultural perspectives, and how these drivers inhibit or potentially enhance Intra-African relations.

Intra-Africa relations is also shaped by continental and regional institutions and agreements. This makes the African Union (AU), the continental institution, a critical bedrock in understanding the relations among these states. The Constitutive Act establishes the framework within which African states will engage each other as they focus on building a strong regional organization to strenthen the respective states and engage the rest of the world effectively. The Center contributes to the achievement of this goal by working closely with institutions within the AU.