Community of Sahel–Saharan States

Free trade area in Africa

The Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN SAD; Arabic: تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء; French: Communauté des Etats Sahélo Sahariens; Portuguese: Comunidade dos Estados Sahelo Saarianos) aims to create a free trade area within a region of Africa. There are questions with regard to whether its level of economic integration qualifies it under the enabling clause of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The annual ordinary session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government convenes in different Member State capitals on a rotational basis. An extraordinary session may be called upon the request of any Member State.

CEN SAD was established in February 1998 by six countries, but since then its membership has grown to 29. One of its main goals is to achieve economic unity through the implementation of the free movement of people and goods in order to make the area occupied by member states a free trade area. At the international level, CEN SAD gained observer status at the UN General Assembly in 2001 and concluded association and cooperation accords with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and with UN specialized agencies and institutions such as UNDP, WHO, UNESCO, FAO, and the Permanent Interstate Committee for drought control in the Sahel. All CEN SAD member countries are also participating in other African economic unions, that have the aim to create a common African Economic Community. The envisioned Free Trade Area of CEN SAD would be hard to practically implement, because it is overlapping with the envisioned customs unions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS/CEDEAO), ECCAS and COMESA and other trade blocs more advanced in their integration.

At the summit of 1–2 June 2005 in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), the heads of state decided to create a "high authority for water, agriculture and seeds" in order to allow member countries to develop their agriculture through better control of water resources and seed selection. On the other hand, the summit to decide to study the construction of a railway line connecting Libya, Chad, Niger, with ramps to Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal, to facilitate exchanges and to open up the CEN SAD space. Blaise Compaoré, president of Burkina Faso, succeeded Malian President Amadou Toumani Touré as current president of CEN SAD.

The African leaders sought to reconcile differences between neighbours Chad and Sudan over the Darfur conflict and boost Somalia's embattled Transitional Federal Government at a regional summit in Libya on June 3, 2007.

The 10th Summit of Heads of State of the Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN SAD) met on June 28, 2008 in Cotonou on June 18. Its theme was Rural Development and Food Security in the CEN SAD area. Beninese President Yayi Boni has been elected current President of CEN SAD for a one year term.

In January 2013, the Community of Sahel–Saharan States will meet in N'Djamena, Chad. A commentator said "Morocco will likely continue its steps to take command of the organization".

Beginning in 2009, CEN SAD member states will take part in planned periodic international sporting and cultural festivals, known as the Community of Sahel–Saharan States Games (Jeux de la Communauté des Etats Sahélo Sahariens). The first CEN SAD Games were held in Niamey, Niger from 4–14 February 2009. Thirteen nations competed in Under 20 sports (athletics, basketball, judo, football, handball, table tennis and traditional wrestling) and six fields of cultural competition (song, traditional creation and inspiration dancing, painting, sculpture and photography). The second CEN SAD Games was scheduled to take place in the Chadian capitol of N’Djamena in February 2011.

Member state Joined Area (km2) Population GDP (PPP) ($US) Notes (all states are also members of the United Nations and of the African Union) (inh.) (date) (millions) (per capita) 2002 2013 census 2019 est. </small> 2018 est. 2001– <small>or 1998– <small>( before 2011 2009 est. also member of IGAD and COMESA 2002– also member of ECOWAS/CEDEAO and UEMOA 2001– 2019 census also member of AMU/UMA and COMESA Total (29 members) or