Born on March 16, 1994 in N’djamena in Chad following the Treaty signed by the founding fathers, the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa launches its thirtieth anniversary festivities on March 16, 2024 as reported in a press release dated March 8 2024 in Malabo.
Organized under the theme, “Thirty years of CEMAC experience in the service of regional integration: assessment and perspectives”, this commemoration takes a look at the path traveled by the promises made in N’djamena over the last 30 years.
Dedicated as CEMAC Day by Additional Act No. 22/CEMAC-CCE-09, of June 25, 2008, March 16 of the current year will not only be the place for an evaluation of public expectations to project the the future of the sub-region; but also the opportunity for the current President of the Conference of Heads of State of CEMAC, Professor Faustin Archange Touadera to educate the citizens of the Community on the progress of the sub-regional organization since its establishment in 1994.
If upon taking office on June 6, 2023, the new government of the CEMAC Commission, under the aegis of Baltasar Engonga Edjo’o, is committed to restoring the credibility of the Commission and community institutions via major projects ; It should be noted that the adoption of the Regional Economic Program (PER) in 2010 in Bangui laid the foundations for real development of the common market. As a challenge, the implementation of irreversible integration and dedicated to the progressive sectoral harmonization of the texts of its Member States for the establishment of common policies.
Regarding the axes of this development, we note major transport projects, road and energy infrastructure, agriculture, livestock breeding, fishing, community land development projects. In addition to these aspects whose achievements are perceptible, the sectors of education, health, governance, the facilitation of inter-university exchanges and the creation of community structures for international training have been enhanced over the last 30 years.
Overall, thirty years after the creation of CEMAC and almost fifteen years after the Launch of the Regional Economic Program (PER), the time is ripe to evaluate the achievements of the projects carried out, to make a projection of the future where the Cemac States speak with a common voice regarding priority integrative projects which will cover the period 2023-2028. Key aspects of this ambitious program include the development of physical infrastructure to support the competitiveness of the sub-region’s economies and free movement.
