CI-NEWS

ECCAS summit ushers new dawn for member states.

2020-08-10

No: 521

ECCAS summit ushers new dawn for member states.

The 11 countries that make up the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) unanimously agreed to close ranks to make the sub-regional bloc a true lever of economic growth and integration.

The commitment was taken last Thursday during the 17^th Conference of Heads of State and Government which took place by videoconference, chaired by Gabon’s Head of State, Ali Bongo Ondimba. The innovation of the summit is the putting in place of a commission to replace the General Secretariat. There is a new system of rotation of the chairperson of ECCAS commission. The role of the new Chairperson of the Commission has been bestowed on Angola, while the vice-chair goes to Equatorial Guinea.

The next chairperson will be the Republic of Congo. Thereafter, it will continue alphabetically. Cameroon grabbed one of the five commissioner posts, that of Planning and Infrastructures which was bestowed on Marie Thérése Chantal Mfoula, who, until then, was Deputy Secretary General of ECCAS in charge of the Department of Physical, Economic and Monetary Integration.

Cameroon was represented at the summit by the Prime Minister, Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute, personal representative of the President of the Republic. In all, the new commission will be headed by a chairperson, and five other commissioners.

“A number of very important decisions were taken. A number of instruments have been adopted by the Heads of State. We had very important discussions, and we think that henceforth, the ECCAS integration will be carried on full swing because all the instruments have been laid out for veritable integration”, said PM Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute.

It also emerged from the summit that all the eleven member countries have ratified the ECCAS revised treaty, whose groundwork was laid in Libreville last December. It is expected to fast track sub-regional Integration.

The Chair of the summit, President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, enjoined his peers to always seek consensus in matters concerning regional integration. In his keynote address, the outgoing Secretary General of ECCAS, Chadian-born Ahmad Allam-Mi, highlighted the health security challenges still facing the sub region.

He however expressed optimism that the revised treaties of the structure will serve as palliatives to such circumstances. The special representative of the United Nations Secretary General for the Central Africa, Francois Lounceny Fall, saluted the engagement of Heads of State of ECCAS and promised to support their efforts towards regional integration. The President of the Commission of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said the modernization process of ECCAS will be a panacea to the disturbing phenomenon which has left the sub-region the last in terms of regional integration despite being endowed with the biggest potential.

Culled from Cameroon Insider.

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ECCAS summit ushers new dawn for member states.