The structural impediments to African Reintegration : a comparative analysis of EAC, ECOWAS and SADC

Abstract

This study aims to analyse the structural factors for the slow implementation of integration in Africa. The dissertation is attempting to introduce a proposition, reintegration, as a conceptual framework to provide an alternative unification theory that has a provision for peace, development, and welfare. The fundamentals of this proposition is based on six pillars that are: historical, philosophical, psychological, political, economic and sociocultural context. The very objective is to make an obtainable alternative solution to the current Regional Economic Community (RECs) arrangement. The scheme feeds the research work with comparative analysis of three of the RECs, namely the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The study is qualitative research with a comparative case of selected RECs. The research focus is to identify the structural challenges in RECs and specific policy limitations and implementation impediments. The study analyses political, economic, social and cultural factors of structural impediments that RECs gleaned from the experiences of ECOWAS, EAC and SADC in the scope of this study. The purpose of this study is to introduce a paradigm shift and rethinking about the current RECs by recommending a different arrangement for better ways of achieving reintegration in Africa.