Xoghayaha AfCFTA oo Muqdisho booqasho ku yimid: Wadahadalada ganacsi iyo suuqa Afrika
Muqdisho ayaa booqasho rasmi ah ku yimid Xoghayaha Guud ee Aagga Ganacsiga Xorta ah ee Qaaradda Afrika (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, kaas oo 16ka Agoosto Garoonka Aadan Cadde ku soo gaaray, halkaas oo uu ku qaabbilay Wasiirka Ganacsiga iyo Warshadaha Soomaaliya, Jamaal Maxamed Xasan.
Muddada booqashada iyo qodobada muhiimka ah
Booqashada Wamkele Mene waxay socon doontaa ilaa 18ka Agoosto, waxaana la filayaa inuu kulammo la yeesho masuuliyiin ka tirsan Dawladda Federaalka ah ee Soomaaliya iyo ganacsatada Soomaaliyeed, iyadoo diiradda lagu saarayaa hirgelinta AfCFTA iyo fursadaha uu heshiisku siin karo ganacsiyada Soomaaliyeed.
Wadahadallada ayaa sidoo kale ku saabsanayaa sida Soomaaliya uga faa’iidaysan karto suuqa qaaradda oo ay ku nool yihiin in ka badan 1.4 bilyan oo qof, iyadoo la isku dayayo in la diyaariyo ganacsatada Soomaaliyeed si ay uga faa’iidaysato suuqa Afrika.
Xubinnimada Soomaaliya ee EAC iyo AfCFTA
Soomaaliya waxaa Bulshada Bariga Afrika loo oggolaaday inay xubin ka noqoto 24kii Nofeembar 2023, waxayna heshiiska ku biirista saxiixday 15kii Diseenbar ee sannadkaas, ka hor intii aysan xubin buuxda noqon 4tii Maarso 2024, halkaas oo ay ku biirayso hannaan ganacsi oo heer qaaradeed ah.
EAC ayaa hadda ka kooban siddeed dal, ku biiristaana waxay Soomaaliya gelisay hannaan isdhexgal dhaqaale oo goboleed oo ay ka mid yihiin isusocodka badeecadaha, adeegyada, raasamaalka iyo shaqaalaha, halka AfCFTA uu yahay hannaan ganacsi oo heer qaaradeed ah.
Diyaarinta qorshe lagu waafajinayo sharciyada
Kaddib xubinnimadaas, Soomaaliya iyo EAC waxay billaabeen diyaarinta qorshe lagu waafajinayo sharciyada iyo hay’adaha dalka nidaamyada Bulshada Bariga Afrika, si Soomaaliya ay si buuxda uga faa’iidaysato xubinnimada ururka, iyadoo Wasaaradda Ganacsiga iyo Warshadaha Soomaaliya ay sheegtay in booqashada Mene ay ku soo aaday iyadoo Soomaaliya qaadayso tallaabooyin muhiim ah.
Booqashada Xoghayaha Guud ee AfCFTA ayaa ku soo aadaysa wax ka badan laba sano kaddib markii Soomaaliya si buuxda ugu biirtay Bulshada Bariga Afrika, iyadoo hadda raadineysa sidii xubinnimada gobolka loogu sii xiri lahaa fursadaha ganacsi ee qaaradda inteeda kale.
Somalia has taken another step toward expanding its engagement with African trade blocs, as the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, arrived in Mogadishu for an official visit. The visit, which began on August 16, aims to explore how Somalia can leverage the continent's free trade agreement to boost its economy and connect with a market of over 1.4 billion people.
Mene's Visit and Key Discussions
Wamkele Mene was welcomed at Aden Adde International Airport by Somalia's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Jamaal Maxamed Xasan. The visit is expected to last until August 18, with meetings scheduled with federal government officials and Somali business leaders. Discussions will focus on implementing the AfCFTA agreement, the opportunities it offers Somali businesses, and how Somalia can benefit from the continental market.
The talks will also address how to prepare Somali traders for the opportunities within the African market. The visit comes as Somalia continues to advance its economic integration efforts at both the regional and continental levels, seeking to link its domestic economy to broader trade networks.
Somalia's Growing Regional and Continental Ties
Somalia was granted membership in the East African Community (EAC) on November 24, 2023, and signed the accession agreement on December 15 of that year, becoming a full member on March 4, 2024. The EAC now comprises eight member states. Joining the EAC has introduced Somalia to a regional economic integration framework that includes the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor.
Following its EAC membership, Somalia and the EAC have begun developing a plan to align Somalia's laws and institutions with the EAC's systems, ensuring the country can fully benefit from its membership. Meanwhile, the AfCFTA aims to facilitate trade among African countries by reducing tariff and other barriers to the movement of goods and services.
Connecting Regional and Continental Trade Frameworks
The two frameworks—the EAC and the AfCFTA—are fundamentally different: the EAC is a regional bloc in which Somalia is a full member, while the AfCFTA is a continental trade mechanism. However, both offer Somalia the chance to connect its economy to markets far larger than those it has historically relied on.
Mene's visit arrives more than two years after Somalia became a full member of the EAC, as it seeks to build on its regional membership to access the broader business opportunities of the rest of the continent. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry stated that the visit comes at a time when Somalia is taking important steps to join and benefit from the continent's free trade zone.
