African governments must commit to enhanced security along transit routes Amid growing concerns over instability and trade-related insecurities, there is the need for a concerted effort from the African government to sanitize and make transit corridors more conducive for trade, says Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat.
Speaking to Single African Market, he states emphatically that there can be no trade where there is no peace and that, to achieve the shared objective of boosting Intra Africa trade, the right conditions must exist on the ground.
“Instability and insecurity negatively impact regional trade and the people that suffer most are the informal traders. It’s not normal, so we have to find a way that will help us to achieve efficiency, competitiveness, boost trade at the same time, adhere to security protocols,” he indicates.
The AfCFTA boss, therefore, applauded the African Union and ECOWAS, under the chairmanship of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for clearly condemning the recent illegitimate takeover of power in some member states.
“I think that we will have to make sure that these incidents of instability are limited. We will never be able to eliminate them but we have to make sure that limit instability so that we can have peace and trade,” Mr. Mene says.