The 23rd COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) Summit was marked by powerful speeches and calls for unity, solidarity and economic autonomy. The heads of state stressed the importance of effective regional integration, placing Africa at the center of its own growth.
The incoming Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) President, Evariste Ndayishimiye President of Burundi, echoed calls for cooperation by advocating tourism and agriculture as central themes of this summit, essential sectors to achieve the vision “Burundi emerging country in 2040 – Burundi Developed country in 2060”. He outlined Burundian initiatives aimed at achieving food self-sufficiency, emphasizing the need to sell products, whether natural or processed, on a regional scale. “Burundi is pursuing food self-sufficiency,” he said, highlighting the Burundian formula: development of infrastructure, fertilizer industries and agri-food processing to achieve this vision.
The outgoing COMESA President, Hakainde Hichilema President of Zambia, highlighted concrete initiatives already undertaken to strengthen the institution. Under his presidency, two million dollars from Saudi Arabia were mobilized”, he affirmed, demonstrating his commitment to the development of COMESA.
Hichilema expressed dissatisfaction with African nations’ over-reliance on Western aid, calling for increased economic cooperation among African countries. He denounced this trend and pleaded for stronger continental solidarity, saying that “relying first on neighbors before turning to external partners” is not only logical, but vital for Africa’s development.
Hichilema also pointed to the low rate of intra-African trade, which he considers a major gap in the continent’s economic strategy. “Africa trades the least with itself, this is not acceptable. And Africa is us, the blocs like COMESA. We will have to do better,” he insisted, calling on member countries to intensify their exchanges to strengthen the continent’s economic autonomy.
Kenyan President William Ruto, for his part, expressed his unwavering support for a revolutionary initiative aimed at encouraging transactions in local currencies between African countries, instead of resorting to the dollar. According to him, this approach is crucial to guaranteeing real financial independence. “With 16 nations already committed to this bold move, Ruto urges COMESA countries to join this landmark initiative,” emphasizing the importance of collective action for a self-reliant economic future.
Ruto also denounced intra-African visa restrictions, which he described as “nonsense” hampering mobility and trade on the continent. He gave the example of the Swaziland-Burundi distance, where a single flight requires at least three connections, stressing that “this situation is unacceptable and constitutes a major obstacle to regional integration”.
In addition to this, Ruto insisted on the need for deep reforms within the African Union. He aspires to see this institution become “a truly effective instrument, capable of defending the interests of 1.4 billion Africans”.
President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo also took the opportunity to reiterate his call for international support in the fight against insecurity in the east of the country. He denounced what he called “the insecurity in the eastern provinces of the DRC unfairly imposed by Rwanda” and affirmed that the Congolese government remains determined to pacify this region. According to him, this stabilization is crucial to establish a favorable climate for business and trade in the region.
This COMESA summit recalled the pressing challenges facing Africa: from economic dependence to mobility restrictions and insecurity. The speeches of Presidents Ndayishimiye, Hichilema, Ruto and Tshisekedi resonated as calls for unity, autonomy and action for a more integrated and stronger African future.