By strengthening intra-Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) trade, the region can contribute to African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) goal of increasing intra-African trade from about 15 per cent to more than 50 per cent over the long run.

Regional policymakers say stronger coordination between regional economic blocs and national governments is needed to integrate livestock markets and support AfCFTA implementation.

The remarks emerged during regional technical consultations on policy harmonisation, mutual recognition and corridor trade facilitation in Naivasha, Kenya, to improve cross-border livestock trade in the Horn of Africa and Sahel region.

The consultations, organised under the African Pastoral Markets Development Platform and supported by the African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), brought together governments, regional blocs, veterinary authorities and livestock traders to address regulatory barriers along key livestock corridors.

Participants focused on harmonising livestock movement permits, sanitary certificates, vaccination records and Halal certification required for cross-border trade under AfCFTA rules.

Officials highlighted the role of Comesa in linking national livestock markets to the continental trade framework.

“Regional economic communities such as Comesa play a critical role in translating AfCFTA commitments into practical trade instruments through harmonised tariffs, coordinated customs systems and common regulatory frameworks,” Yoseph Mamo, Senior Animal Production and Health Officer at Comesa Secretariat, says.

He said Comesa can support regional production networks in priority value chains such as livestock and leather, allowing countries to specialise in different production stages while trading intermediate goods.

Comesa already operates a free trade area and customs cooperation framework that member states can use to expand livestock trade within the region and into AfCFTA markets.

Formed in 1994, Comesa has 21 member states with a population of more than 655 million people and a combined gross domestic product of about $1.13 trillion (Ksh146 trillion).

The bloc has introduced several trade facilitation measures, including simplified trade regimes for small-scale traders, systems for reporting non-tariff barriers and one-stop border posts aimed at reducing border delays.

Comesa has also updated its sanitary and phytosanitary strategy to strengthen coordination on animal health standards, laboratory testing, certification and disease surveillance needed for livestock trade. Regional reference laboratories for animal health, plant health and food safety are also being strengthened to support compliance with international standards.

Livestock value chains are increasingly being prioritised in the integration agenda. Comesa is promoting production and processing networks covering live animals, beef, dairy, poultry and apiculture, alongside related industries such as leather.

Regional value chains allow countries to specialise in different stages of production – from breeding and feed supply to slaughtering, processing and export – while trading intermediate products across borders.

Infrastructure and trade logistics remain critical to livestock trade. Comesa is promoting transport corridors linking production zones with regional and export markets through improved transport and cold-chain systems.

However, policymakers say non-tariff barriers remain a major constraint. Complex border procedures, inconsistent veterinary certification requirements and weak coordination between border agencies continue to slow livestock movements.

To address these challenges, Comesa has introduced digital platforms for reporting and resolving non-tariff barriers. The bloc has also implemented a Simplified Trade Regime (STR) allowing small-scale traders to move eligible goods across borders using simplified customs procedures.

The system operates in several countries, among them Kenya and Ethiopia at the Moyale border, where simplified certificates of origin and reduced documentation are helping formalise cross-border trade.

Kenya’s State Department for Trade official Lynda Ouma said AfCFTA offers an opportunity for African countries to develop competitive livestock value chains through coordinated policy reforms and infrastructure investment.

“To fully benefit from the continental market, countries must harmonise veterinary certification systems, digitise livestock movement permits and improve coordination between border authorities and veterinary agencies,” she said.

Kenya was among the first countries to ratify the AfCFTA agreement and exported its first consignments under the Guided Trade Initiative to Ghana in 2022. Since then, the country has issued more than 100 certificates of origin under the initiative, with at least 33 firms participating in early AfCFTA trade.

Kenya also trades livestock within regional blocs including the East African Community and COMESA and through cross-border corridors linking pastoral areas in Ethiopia, Somalia and Uganda to urban and export markets.

These corridors connect livestock producers to markets in Nairobi, Mombasa and Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Officials say livestock trade faces structural challenges that include low productivity, limited value addition, inadequate quarantine facilities, weak transport infrastructure and recurring transboundary animal diseases.

Participants said addressing these gaps will require stronger coordination between governments, investment in animal health systems and greater policy harmonisation across regional economic communities.

The Naivasha consultations are expected to produce draft bilateral agreements, corridor-specific operating procedures and recommendations for establishing one-stop border posts along priority livestock trade routes linking the Horn of Africa and the Sahel.

• A Tell Media report / By Tell Special Correspondent s