For years, many observers treated Africa’s plans for regional integration with a healthy dose of skepticism. Though the skepticism remains, what has changed is the wide-spread acknowledgement and elevated importance of regional economic integration to grow Africa’s economies, create jobs for its rapidly growing youth population, and improve lives. Last
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Trade Controls and Policy
Africa’s Tripartite Agreement: Another Step toward Integration?
Considerable attention has been paid to the recent signing of the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (TFTA) which will bind three of Africa’s regional economic communities (RECs) together into one large free trade market of 26 countries, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the continent’s GDP. How significant the Agreement will…
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President’s Advisory Council Focuses On Capital, Supply Chains and Infrastructure
One of the major initiatives announced during last summer’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit was the establishment of the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa, a private sector-led body tasked with assisting the President in the development and dissemination of U.S. private sector strategies for taking advantage of trade and…
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AU-UN Report Reveals Startling Illicit Financial Flows in Africa
A new, comprehensive report published by the African Union’s high-level panel on illicit financial flows and the United Nations economic commission for Africa (Uneca) concludes that Africa loses more than $50 billion every year to illicit financial flows (IFFs). The report, entitled Illicit Financial Flows, represents the first African …
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Debate in the European Parliament on the European Commission’s Conflict Minerals Proposal
On November 6, the Committee on International Trade (INTA) of the European Parliament will have a first exchange of views on the proposal presented in March by the European Commission (EC) on “Minerals originating in conflict affected and high risk areas.” This is the European Union version of the so-called…
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Strengthening U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment
The U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means is currently considering the renewal and strengthening of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). AGOA is the cornerstone of the U.S.-African commercial relationship, and the African Union (AU) has called for a 15 year extension of the Act, from 2015 to…
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U.S. Reacts to Central African Republic Conflict
In response to escalating sectarian violence in the Central African Republic (CAR), which has been embroiled in civil war since late 2012, President Obama has issued an Executive Order imposing sanctions on five individuals involved in the conflict and authorizing the U.S. Treasury Department to impose sanctions on other parties…
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Approaching the Sanctions Tripwire in South Sudan
Secretary of State John Kerry has an extremely full agenda for his visit this week to South Sudan. Most immediately, he has to put in place measures that will prevent further civilian atrocities. The recent attacks on civilians in Bentiu and Bor cannot be repeated. At the same time, the…
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Boko Haram and U.S.-Nigeria Relations
On March 18, 2014, National Security Advisor Susan Rice met with governors from Nigeria to explore, among other topics, how the U.S. can work together with the state governments in Nigeria to address the insurgency of Boko Haram an Islamist terrorist organization. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry designated Boko …
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