Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE United Republic of Tanzania had the distinguished honour of participating in the Seventh Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (MYCM) between the African Union, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and Regional Mechanisms (RMs), held on 13 July 2025 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
The Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the AU and Ambassador to Ethiopia, Mr Innocent Shiyo issued a communique, saying that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, who ably represented President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Ambassador Shiyo said that participation of Tanzania in this strategic convening was in its capacity as the Third Vice Chairperson of the Bureau of the Assembly of the African Union for the year 2025.
He noted that Tanzania’s presence underscored its unwavering commitment to the African integration agenda and its enduring resolve to advance the principles of unity, solidarity, shared prosperity, and sustainable development on the continent.
Tanzania’s participation in this seminal gathering reflects its enduring commitment to the continental integration agenda, multilateral diplomacy, and the collective realisation of Africa’s developmental aspirations.
The Meeting outlined key follow-up actions for Tanzania, including: leveraging its position in the AU Bureau to contribute to strategic policymaking; strengthening trade and investment linkages within EAC and SADC; reinforcing security cooperation through regional mechanisms; preparing for active participation in the upcoming.
Ambassador Shiyo noted that the Meeting was attended by13 Heads of State and Government, comprising five members of the AU Bureau and eight chairpersons of the RECs, alongside other high-ranking dignitaries.
Their collective deliberations focused on reviewing and enhancing synergies between the AU, RECs, RMs, and Member States to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063, the continent’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into a global powerhouse of the future.
Ambassador Shiyo said that the meeting received and considered a series of comprehensive and policy-rich reports, including: the Status of Continental Integration in Africa; Reports from the Chairpersons of RECs and RMs; the Role of AUDANEPAD in advancing regional and continental integration; the Status of Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Also there was an issue of Geopolitical Developments and their implications on Africa; the Annual Report of the AU Inter-Regional Knowledge Exchange (I-RECKE) on Early Warning and Conflict Prevention; and the Progress Report on the Division of Labour between the AU, RECs, RMs, and Member States.
Mr João Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union told members it was time to reflect on the African regional integration process and its present state, taking into account the fulfillment of the fundamental objectives and goals of the Agenda 2063, ‘The Africa We Want’.
”We express our highest gratitude to His Excellency President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and the people of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea for agreeing to host this important Summit and for the warm welcome and exceptional hospitality reserved for all delegations since our arrival in the beautiful and welcoming city of Malabo.
“As we all know and defend, regional integration in Africa is more than an ideal it is, above all, one of the essential vectors for transforming the great ambitions of the Agenda 2063 into concrete progress and a profoundly strategic necessity for the African continent, marked by borders inherited from the colonial era, which have often ignored the cultural, social and economic realities of the African people.
“It is precisely in this context that the need arises to strengthen coordination between our continental organization and the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms, on the understanding that the latter are the essential pillars of the African architecture. Africa, as driver for interconnecting continental policies and national dynamics in the most varied fields,” he said.
The African Union Commission presented a meticulously detailed report on the Status of Continental Integration, structured around four foundational pillars: political integration, economic integration, infrastructure development, and human and social development.
While acknowledging significant progress made by RECs such as the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The report emphasized the persistent challenges impeding deeper integration. These include the slow pace of ratification of legal instruments, the absence of harmonised statistical frameworks, fragmented implementation approaches, and the undue influence of external actors undermining Africa’s self-defined priorities.
In light of these findings, the Meeting called upon all stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to the Pan-African ideal by accelerating the ratification and implementation of key legal instruments, prioritising investments in human capital, reinforcing institutional coordination among AU organs and RECs, advancing the digital transformation agenda, and mobilising domestic and innovative sources of financing to ensure long-term sustainability of integration initiatives.
In a notable demonstration of regional leadership, Heads of State and Government serving as Chairpersons of RECs and RMs presented compelling and indepth assessments of the status of regional integration within their respective jurisdictions.
These presentations highlighted commendable progress in areas such as peace and security cooperation, democratic governance, trade liberalisation, customs union development, investment facilitation, and the establishment of regional financial institutions.
Of particular interest to Tanzania were the detailed updates from SADC and EAC, both of which underscored tangible achievements in regional infrastructure development, trade facilitation, and market integration—areas where Tanzania plays a central and strategic role.
On the matter of AUDANEPAD, the Meeting welcomed the comprehensive presentation made by His Excellency Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Chairperson of the Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC).
The report underlined the imperative of establishing a sustainable continental development fund to finance the implementation of Agenda 2063, noting that over USD 3.3 trillion will be required.
To this end, the Meeting endorsed the proposal to establish the African Union Agenda 2063 Development Fund, with four strategic financing windows dedicated to infrastructure and transport, industrial and trade development, human capital development (particularly in health, education and skills), and institutional governance and regulatory reform.
Notably, AUDA-NEPAD, in close collaboration with RECs, has identified a portfolio of over 300 bankable projects, collectively valued at approximately USD 500 billion.
It was reported that under the auspices of PIDA PAP II, 24 infrastructure projects have reached advanced stages of preparation, with the Central Corridor projects—crucial to Tanzania—having secured technical assistance and feasibility financing.
Tanzania welcomed these developments as a testament to its strategic relevance in the continental development architecture and affirmed its commitment to actively engaging AUDA-NEPAD in pursuit of national and regional development objectives.
With respect to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Meeting received an authoritative update from H.E. Mr. Issoufou Mahamadou, AfCFTA Champion and former President of Niger.
It was observed that as of July 2025, 49 out of the 54 signatory States had deposited their instruments of ratification, with Eritrea remaining the only country yet to sign the Agreement.
The Meeting, while acknowledging the legal and institutional milestones achieved, called for intensified efforts to address structural constraints, particularly those affecting small and medium enterprises, informal trade, and the operationalisation of key flagship initiatives including SAATM, the African Union Financial Institutions, the Single African Passport, and the Free Movement of Persons Protocol.
Geopolitical trends were thoroughly examined, with SADC presenting a sober yet forward-looking analysis of the external environment.
The report cautioned against the resurgence of trade protectionism, reductions in official development assistance, and macroeconomic instability.
In response, the Meeting called for greater intra-African trade under the AfCFTA, diversification of markets beyond traditional partners, and enhanced economic resilience through industrialisation, domestic resource mobilisation, and regional value chain development.
The Meeting further commended the progress made under the Inter-Regional Knowledge Exchange (I-RECKE) platform, which since its establishment in 2022 has emerged as a vital framework for early warning, conflict prevention, and coordinated responses to governance and peacebuilding challenges.
The Meeting endorsed the Joint Resource Mobilisation Strategy and urged accelerated implementation in support of the AU Master Roadmap on Silencing the Guns and Agenda 2063.
As part of the ongoing AU Institutional Reform process, the Meeting reviewed the Division of Labour framework, particularly the three sectors already concluded—political affairs and governance, peace and security, and trade—and expressed satisfaction with the direction of implementation.
Member States were urged to submit outstanding inputs by August 2025 ahead of the Extraordinary Summit on Institutional Reforms scheduled for November 2025. Tanzania reaffirmed its readiness to contribute constructively to these discussions and to champion a harmonised, subsidiarity-based governance architecture for the continent.
The Meeting also received a report on the implementation of the AU’s 2025 theme: ‘Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations’.
The report noted the establishment of a Coordinating Team of Experts and outlined steps being taken to institutionalise a robust framework for pursuing reparative justice.
The AU Assembly had resolved that the implementation of this theme will extend over a ten-year period to ensure depth, engagement, and sustainable impact. Tanzania endorsed this decision and reiterated its solidarity with all efforts aimed at advancing the dignity and restitution of the African people.
The Meeting concluded with the formal adoption of the Declaration of the Seventh Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, which articulates the shared vision, commitments, and decisions agreed upon. The Declaration will be submitted for endorsement at the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly scheduled for February 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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