After years of negotiations, the concrete implementation of the African Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was finally on the agenda. The common African passport was also to become a growing reality.
Then came the coronavirus pandemic.
43 of the 54 states in Africa closed their borders as a result.
The African Union warns that border closures for people and goods could have a "devastating effect on the health, economy and social stability of many African states" that rely on trade with neighbors.
The GAVI vaccine alliance warned that vaccines are running out in some African countries due to border closures and restricted air traffic. Although GAVI says the problem has now been resolved, the example shows how much health care on the continent also depends on flexible borders.
Africa is heavily dependent on the mobility of its workforce. But right now, that workforce is stuck in place.
Then came the coronavirus pandemic.
43 of the 54 states in Africa closed their borders as a result.
The African Union warns that border closures for people and goods could have a "devastating effect on the health, economy and social stability of many African states" that rely on trade with neighbors.
The GAVI vaccine alliance warned that vaccines are running out in some African countries due to border closures and restricted air traffic. Although GAVI says the problem has now been resolved, the example shows how much health care on the continent also depends on flexible borders.
Africa is heavily dependent on the mobility of its workforce. But right now, that workforce is stuck in place.
"Mobility is part of everyday life for most Africans," Robert Kappel, Professor Emeritus of the Institute for African Studies at the University of Leipzig told DW. "You go somewhere else for a while, work, earn income and send it to your family, acquire and bring back skills, create networks across borders," Kappel said. The economist is certain that the longer mobility is restricted, the more African states will suffer from reduced economic growth. Kappel cites Ivory Coast as an example. Just as Western European countries depend on eastern European harvest workers, many people come from Burkina Faso to work on Ivorian cocoa plantations.
Even people who have been living in Ivory Coast for a long time are now being sent back because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kappel said the reason for their expulsion is simply because they are foreigners. "Cote d'Ivoire, one of the world's largest cocoa producers, has been relying on the exchange of workers for decades and now suddenly has to limit this," he said.
Small and medium-sized companies that depend on cross-border trade are particularly threatened by delays and restrictions, economist Robert Kappel said. "Many of the farmers or small entrepreneurs must now try to sell their products elsewhere but often the local market is limited."
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