What is COMESA?
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) constitutes a regional integration grouping of 20 African countries that have agreed to pursue such integration through trade development. The member countries are Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. COMESA was established in 1994 in succession to the Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern Africa (PTA). That organization started in 1981 within the framework of the Organization of African Unity’s (OAU) Lagos Plan of Action and the Final Act of Lagos. The PTA sought to take advantage of the expanded market and foster greater social and economic cooperation, with the ultimate goal of formulating an economic bloc that yielded high living standards. COMESA has sought to promote the free movement of services, capital and labor among the member countries. It
