Physical integration of transport systems requires the connectivity of modal links among countries and across subregions. Most regional economic communities are Regional economic
communities are implementing harmonized laws, standards, regulations, and procedures to ensure the smooth flow of goods and services and to reduce transport costs
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trying to achieve this type of integration in roads, railways, maritime transport, inland waterways, and civil aviation.
Roads and road transport. Measurement of road integration is based on the number of missing links—sections of a road that fail to conform to design standards1—in a sub-region’s section of the Trans-African Highway.
In 2000 the East African Community (EAC) had the most integrated road system, with smallest share of missing links—523 kilometres of the total 3,841 kilometres, or 14% (table 7.1). EAC has two major road and rail corridors, the Northern Corridor in Kenya from the port of Mombassa and the Central Corridor in Tanzania from the port of Dar-es-Salaam, which handle most of the subregion’s international traffic. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the second most linked subregion, with 2,695 kilometres of missing links in 15,723 kilometres (17%), also has the most instruments aimed at facilitating transit transport—including har-monized road transit charges, carrier licence and transit plates, harhar-monized axle load limits, the Advanced Cargo Information System, the Automated System for Customs Data, and a bond guarantee scheme. Although COMESA countries have accepted these instruments, implementation has been slow. The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has the least integrated road system, with 4,953 kilo-metres of missing links in 10,650 kilokilo-metres, or 47%. Its road network is unusable under some weather conditions.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) have several initiatives to integrate their road systems and facilitate the movement of people and goods, but progress has been impeded by slow implementation of agreements and use of modern technology. Neither
Physical integration of transport systems requires the connectivity of modal links among countries and across subregions
Table 7.1
Road and rail transport in selected regional economic communities in Africa, 2000
Trans-African Highway Railways Missing
links as Type of
Regional Total Missing a share Total gauge
economic links links of total length in use
community (km) (km) (%) (km) (mm)
COMESA 15,723 2,695 17 32,558 1,067; 1,000
EAC 3,841 523 14 7,588 1,000
ECCAS 10,650 4,953 47 7,605 1,435; 1,067; 1,000
ECOWAS 10,578 2,970 28 10,190 1,067; 1,000
IGAD 8,716 2,423 28 9,000 —
SADC 11,454 2,136 19 45,321 1,067
UMA 5,923 1,110 21 9,625 1,435
Source: UNECA 2002b.
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the Convention on Inter-State Road Transportation nor the Convention on Inter-State Road Transit of Goods, both signed in 1982, has been implemented, while implemen-tation has been limited on the brown card insurance scheme and the Automated System for Customs Data introduced by ECOWAS that same year. In 1990 the countries adopted measures to facilitate cross-border movement of traffic. ECOWAS has also begun construction of the West African Highway Network. UEMOA is working with ECOWAS to reinforce institutional capacity and develop regulations for monitoring and developing transportation corridors in West Africa.
The members of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) are working to complete the Trans-Saharan Highway, the Maghrebian Highway, and a link between Africa and Europe though the Strait of Gibraltar. UMA has emphasized building transport links with Euro-Mediterranean countries, connecting member states, and harmonizing policies.
Although UMA has agreements on transport, including some that facilitate cross-border transport of goods and services, implementation is incomplete.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is well connected, with a regional trunk road network and an interconnected regional rail network. SADC created the autonomous Southern Africa Transport and Communications Commission to imple-ment its transport protocol, though a later restructuring of SADC ended the commission’s autonomous status. SADC is the only regional economic community taking a multisec-toral approach to transport—an approach based on development corridors and spatial development initiatives. But some critical links between member states are missing, such as bridge connections between Botswana and Zambia and between Namibia and Zambia.
Rail transport. Three railway gauges predominate in Africa—the 1,067 millimetre (Cape) gauge, the 1,000 millimetre (narrow or meter) gauge, and the 1,435 millimetre (standard) gauge. A regional railway system is considered to be integrated when its member states use the same gauge throughout. EAC, SADC, and UMA use a uniform gauge and thus have the most potential for physical integration of their railway net-works (see table 7.1). UMA is even considering development of a Maghrebian high speed train. By contrast, ECCAS, with no plans for rail network connectivity, has the least potential for integration. ECOWAS, which has given little attention to its rail transport system, is beginning efforts to connect national railway lines. The African Development Bank has provided $3.3 million to study the feasibility of railway con-nections in West Africa.
Maritime transport and ports. Integration of maritime transport and ports is based on the number of major maritime ports offering services to landlocked countries and the availability of coastal shipping services and inland container depots. ECOWAS is the most integrated, with seven ports for four landlocked countries (table 7.2). EAC has some connectivity between ports and the hinterland, with two major transit ports—
Mombassa, Kenya, and Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. With nine major transit ports serving 10 landlocked countries, COMESA also has good connections. UMA, which has no The Southern African
Development Community is well connected, with a regional trunk road network and an interconnected regional rail network
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landlocked countries, has common maritime transport policies among its members and with Eastern Mediterranean countries. ECCAS, with two ports serving three of its four landlocked countries, has some maritime connection among its member states.
Inland waterways. Physical integration of inland waterways is measured by the num-ber of countries served by a particular river or lake. Although Africa is endowed with many lakes and rivers, only a few play a role in integrating transport across countries (see table 7.2). Lake Victoria in EAC offers steamer service to its three member coun-tries, giving EAC the most integrated inland waterways system. ECCAS has the sec-ond most integrated system—the Congo River provides service to half its 10 member countries. By contrast, the Niger River, which connects Guinea and Mali, offers lim-ited integration to ECOWAS because travel on the river is seasonal. A 1998 initiative by the Senegal River Basin Development Organization is expected to enhance trans-port on the Senegal River, but it faces competition for resources with the improved Dakar–Bamako railway system and the recently initiated Dakar–Bamako road.
Civil aviation. Integration of civil aviation is measured by the connectivity of air and navigation services between member states within regional economic communities and between subregions. Kenya has 16 direct connections with other COMESA countries, compared with none for Swaziland (OAG 2000). In SADC most countries have direct
Although Africa is endowed with many lakes and rivers, only a few play a role in integrating transport across countries
Table 7.2
Maritime and inland waterways transport in selected regional economic communities in Africa, 2000
Inland waterways
Countries served Maritime transport Navigable as a share
Regional Major Landlocked lakes of total
economic maritime countries and Countries countries
community ports served rivers served (%)
COMESA 9 10 Nile River 10 48
Lake Victoria Lake Malawi Lake Tanganyika
EAC 2 4 Lake Victoria 3 100
ECCAS 2 4 Congo River 5 50
ECOWAS 7 4 Niger River 2 13
Senegal
IGAD 4 2 Nile River 3 43
Lake Victoria
SADC 8 6 Lake Victoria
Lake Malawi
Lake Tanganyika na na
UMA 11 na na na na
na is not applicable.
Source: UNECA 2002b.
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links to Johannesburg, which has the highest connectivity in the subregion. And with indirect flights, it is relatively easy to link two capitals in the SADC countries, although some connections require more than a day’s stopover. The capital cities of UMA mem-ber countries are linked by direct or indirect flights taking less than four hours, but the limited number of flights during the week has resulted in a low volume of traffic, espe-cially before the embargo on Libya ended. North Africa and Central Africa’s connec-tions with Sub-Saharan Africa are inadequate, often requiring travel through Europe.
ECCAS (which includes CEMAC) is one of the least connected subregions. In 2000 Republic of Congo had only five direct flights to other member countries, and in São Tomé and Principe the weekly frequency of flights was so low that passengers had to wait for days to make their way from some capital cities in the subregion. A lack of financial and technical resources and commercial cooperation combined with protec-tionist policies has severely hampered connectivity in the subregion.
ECOWAS was relatively well connected before the collapse of Air Afrique, a joint ven-ture of 11 French-speaking countries that provided both direct and indirect connec-tions within the subregion. The most linked countries were Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, with 14 direct flights, while Liberia had 4 flights and Cape Verde 2. The anglophone countries of West Africa were poorly connected to the francophone countries because of protection of Air Afrique and a lack of cooperation between major carriers. National airlines and new private airlines now provide service between capital cities, but the serv-ices are not very well connected (separate tickets are often required to complete a trip).
The creation of Air Afrique for the French-speaking countries and the Banjul Accord grouping English-speaking countries resulted in many missing routes, complicating travel in West Africa. But connectivity has been improving since the Yamoussoukro Decision, which allows multiple airlines to operate on a single route and removes limits on aircraft capacity and flight frequency. The Agency for the Safety of Aerial Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (box 7.1) and the Robert Flight Information Region in Connectivity has been
improving since the Yamoussoukro Decision, which allows multiple airlines to operate on a single route
Box 7.1
Integrating air transport operations in Africa
The Agency for the Safety of Aerial Navigation in Africa and Madagascar, established in 1959, is responsible for providing terminal aids and air traffic control for the 24 main airports of 15 African states (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo). Its services cover en route navigation as well as approach and landing. Under the Dakar Convention the agency manages aeronautical facilities in signatory states, conducts studies of the operations of airports or technical facilities, and supervises and maintains the facilities.
Source: ASECNA 2000.
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ECOWAS and CEMAC are also signs of growing integration. In other subregions, how-ever, national organizations manage air space, creating difficulties for integration.