The challenges of political integration in Africa

Abstract

There exist already some explanations for the failure of the integration policy in Africa. Lack of political will in the member countries that is necessary to see integration succeed, expressed in the chronic non-observance of commitments undertaken within the respective agreements and in the insufficient use of the instruments set up by these agreements. There are some other more. technical explanations for the failure of regional integration schemes in Africa. It is argued ~or example that "in some cases the existing mechanism is too loosely defined or insufficiently equipped with human, material, and financial resources to do its work (Economic Commission for Africa 2002). This study sought to establish the major challenges of political integration in Africa. The research was an exploratory research design carried out as a case study of East African Community (EAC). The population of the study consisted of all states in East African Community while the sample entailed two groups of respondents. The first group consisted of five educational attachees each from each of the five states' embassies. The other group comprised of ten foreigners who gave their view on political integration in East African Communities .. Primary data was collected through a questionnaire which contained both open ended and closed-end questions and personal interviews with the various targeted respondents. A content analysis was used to analyze the responses. From the study, leadership of the constitutent states is the most important factor which can lead to disintegration of the various states under integration. As part of the recommendation from the researcher, the achievement of a political federation requires a high level of political commitment from the leaders of the states. This would start with the establishment of institutions that would facilitate consensual decision making and also institutions that would ensure equitable distribution of gains and losses of integration.