Central Africa to Revisit stalled CEMAC-ECCAS Merger at July Summit

AFRICAN BUSINESS AND ECONOMYJune 13, 2025 at 11:17 AM UTC

TLDR

On July 18, 2025, heads of state from CEMAC and ECCAS will convene in Yaoundé to revive discussions on the long-proposed merger
The initiative, first introduced over 15 years ago, remains poorly defined and far from implementation
This summit follows the 2024 ministerial meeting of the Steering Committee for the Rationalization of Central Africa's Regional Economic Communities

On July 18, 2025, heads of state from the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) will convene in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to revive discussions on the long-proposed merger of their organizations. The initiative, first introduced over 15 years ago, remains poorly defined and far from implementation.

This summit follows the 2024 ministerial meeting of the Steering Committee for the Rationalization of Central Africa's Regional Economic Communities (Copil CER-AC), where eleven member states endorsed principles like progressiveness, fiscal sustainability, and solidarity. However, practical steps—such as funding, legal frameworks, and institutional commitments—are still lacking.

Despite the adoption of draft frameworks for a High Monetary Authority and a High Financial Markets Authority, institutional convergence has made limited progress. Political tensions, notably Rwanda’s formal withdrawal from ECCAS in June 2025, further complicate the roadmap. Kigali cited a breach of rules on rotating leadership and disputes with the Democratic Republic of Congo as reasons for its exit.

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Key Takeaways

Efforts to unify CEMAC and ECCAS reflect broader ambitions for economic integration in Central Africa, but persistent sovereignty disputes, lack of arbitration mechanisms, and overlapping mandates have slowed progress. Even low-stakes sectors like vocational education have faced coordination challenges. The role of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL)—initially part of the integration plan—was ignored in recent talks, highlighting poor engagement on complex topics. External partners are growing impatient. Adama Ekberg Coulibaly, a senior official from the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), criticized the region’s leaders for staying in the “study and diagnostic phase” without implementing real institutional reforms. The July 18 summit is now viewed as a credibility test. Heads of state are expected to endorse texts prepared by the CER-AC committee, but observers warn that without tangible commitments, the summit risks becoming another symbolic gathering in a long series of stalled initiatives.

Economy

Central Africa

ECCAS

CEMAC

Cameroon