Africa’s trade integration is being crippled by disjointed infrastructure, a lack of “technical sovereignty” and internal coordination failures, senior diplomats and officials warned on Saturday, urging a move beyond political rhetoric to fix the logistics holding back the continent’s economic potential.
Speaking at the inaugural Egyptian-African Economic Conference in Cairo, panellists argued that reliance on non-African entities for infrastructure planning has left the continent physically divided, undermining the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The session, titled “Economic Diplomacy: Engine of Growth and Development in Africa,” was hosted by the Al-Ahram Institution to mark its 150th anniversary. It brought together parliamentary leaders and diplomats to address the widening gap between diplomatic agreements and commercial reality.
The fight for technical sovereignty
Cameroon’s Ambassador to Egypt, Mohamadou Labarang, delivered a sharp critique of the continent’s approach to mega-projects. Labarang, who also serves as the Dean of African Ambassadors in Cairo, argued that African nations must conduct their own feasibility studies rather than outsourcing them to foreign partners whose interests often diverge from continental unity.
“We have to understand the intricacy between politics and economy,” Labarang told the panel. “When we are not the ones doing our studies ourselves, we remain in the hands of those who want to divide us”.
He cited the continent’s fragmented railway networks as a prime example of this failure, noting that differing technical standards between neighbouring nations frequently prevent cross-border movement.
“The standards used in one country are different from the standards in the other,” he said, warning that without technical harmonisation, physical integration remains impossible.
Egypt’s ‘isolated islands’
Sherif El-Gebaly, Chairman of the African Affairs Committee in the Egyptian House of Representatives, offered a candid assessment of Cairo’s engagement with the continent. While acknowledging that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had successfully returned Egypt to the “African bosom” politically over the last decade, Gebaly described the country’s economic footprint as disproportionately “weak”.
“It is not possible to work with Africa by email or electronically. You have to be on the ground there,” Gebaly said.
He lamented a lack of internal cohesion among Egyptian state bodies, describing ministries and soft-power institutions—such as Al-Azhar and the ministries of health and agriculture—as working in “isolated islands” rather than as a unified force.
Gebaly highlighted the logistical hurdles facing Egyptian exporters, noting that goods destined for Tanzania are often shipped via Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates due to a lack of direct maritime routes.
“Why don’t we have a direct line to Dar es Salaam?” he asked, warning that shipping times of 50 days or more were rendering African goods uncompetitive against Asian imports.
A ‘train for progress’
Karim Sherif, Egypt’s Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs, emphasised the government’s strategic pivot towards the continent. He outlined Egypt’s ambition to be a “train for progress” in Africa, stressing that security and development are inextricably linked.
“We have to face security challenges, and Egypt pays attention to having African solutions to the African problems,” Sherif said, noting that investment cannot flourish amidst armed conflict.
The panel also included Ali Darwish, Head of the African Union Permanent Delegation to the Arab League, and Haytham El-Maayergi, Executive Vice President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), underscoring the session’s focus on aligning diplomatic, legislative, and financial frameworks.
