Senior diplomats and officials warned that Africa's trade integration is hampered by fragmented infrastructure, a lack of technical sovereignty, and internal coordination failures. At the inaugural Egyptian-African Economic Conference in Cairo, panellists called for moving beyond political rhetoric to address logistics stifling the continent's economic potential. They stressed the need for self-conducted feasibility studies to achieve continental unity.
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 gathered parliamentary leaders and diplomats to discuss the gap between diplomatic agreements and commercial reality.
Cameroon’s Ambassador to Egypt, Mohamadou Labarang, who also serves as Dean of African Ambassadors in Cairo, offered a sharp critique of the continent’s approach to mega-projects. “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 fragmented railway networks as a key example, noting that differing technical standards between neighboring countries often block cross-border movement. “The standards used in one country are different from the standards in the other,” he said, warning that physical integration is impossible without technical harmonization.
Sherif El-Gebaly, Chairman of the African Affairs Committee in the Egyptian House of Representatives, provided a candid assessment of Cairo’s engagement with the continent. He acknowledged that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had successfully returned Egypt to the “African bosom” politically over the past decade, but 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, portraying ministries and soft-power institutions—such as Al-Azhar and the ministries of health and agriculture—as operating in “isolated islands” rather than a unified force.
Gebaly highlighted logistical hurdles for Egyptian exporters, pointing out that goods bound for Tanzania are often shipped via Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates due to absent direct maritime routes. “Why don’t we have a direct line to Dar es Salaam?” he asked, cautioning that shipping times of 50 days or more make African goods uncompetitive against Asian imports.
Karim Sherif, Egypt’s Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs, emphasized the government’s strategic shift toward the continent. He outlined Egypt’s ambition to be a “train for progress” in Africa, stressing that security and development are 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 thrive amid armed conflict. The panel also featured 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), highlighting efforts to align diplomatic, legislative, and financial frameworks.