Rwanda 2018: changing a reputation with summitry diplomacy
Last month, 44 state leaders met in Kigali, Rwanda, to sign a free trade agreement that might revolutionise world trade. ‘ Never again! Get me a sack of dead fish, three pints of Newkies and a few packs of Marlboros. I’m sorting this shit out!’ Don’t worry Nige, Britain was not involved. Rather, the 44 leaders were all African. Africa has a serious problem with trade, as only 10% of the continent’s commerce is ‘Intra-African’. However, by creating the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) the African Union will bring together 1.2 billion consumers in a tariff free market. Whilst things didn’t go perfectly, as Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, refused to sign, there seems to be a mood of optimism surrounding the deal. Moussa Faki Mahamat, the African Union’s chair person, said it represents ‘a glorious challenge … which calls for the courage to believe, the courage to dare, the courage to achieve’. There’s hope the CFTA will pave the way for a customs union, a single