The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is a free trade area among 21 African countries with a combined population of over 480 million people and a GDP of over $800 billion. Its members are Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
COMESA was established in 1994 with the signing of the COMESA Treaty. The treaty provides for the free movement of goods, services, and people within the region, as well as the establishment of a common external tariff. COMESA also works to promote economic cooperation and integration between its member states.
COMESA has a number of achievements to its credit, including:
- The establishment of a free trade area, which has led to increased trade and economic growth within the region.
- The development of a common external tariff, which has helped to protect the region's industries from unfair competition.
- The promotion of economic cooperation and integration, which has led to the development of a number of regional infrastructure projects, such as the COMESA Regional Road Network.
COMESA is a significant player in the African economy and is working to promote economic development and integration in the region.