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By CHRISTABEL LIGAMI
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Ethiopia last week ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), leaving only additional ratification to enter into force.
Twenty-two ratifications are needed for the agreement to enter into force and to date 21 countries have ratified their instruments.
Since the AU summit in Kigali in March 2018, when the Continental Pact was launched and signed by 44 states, eight others – South Africa, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Burundi , Namibia, Guinea Bissau, Botswana and Zambia – signed. Only Eritrea, Benin, Nigeria and Tanzania remain.
To date, 15 countries – South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Niger, Chad, Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Guinea, eSwatini, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Uganda and Ivory Coast – have deposited their instruments of ratification of the President of the Commission of the African Union. Sierra Leone, Senegal, Togo, Egypt and Zimbabwe have received parliamentary approval for ratification.
According to Stephen Karingi, director of the Regional Integration and Trade Division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the final points to discuss about AfFATCA are the competition, the provisions in investment, intellectual property and electronic commerce. To date, the goods, services and dispute resolution protocols have been completed and their annexes will be ready by July.
"The second phase of negotiations on the remaining clauses will begin soon," we hope the talks will end early in 2021, "said Dr. Karingi.
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