Meeting of the Solution Think Tank (STT) network of Francophone West Africa

From March 18 to 21, 2019, the second meeting of the STT network, of which CROP is a member, was held in Conakry, Guinea. CROP was represented at this meeting by Mr. Têko Enyo Combey and Mr. M’Hammed Salmân Abibou. The STT network is an initiative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which is a German foundation associated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU). Konrad Adenauer's objective in setting up the STT is to promote the publication of scientific articles by Think Tanks in Francophone West Africa. This network aims to be a reflection framework for African researchers to provide solutions to social and political problems in Africa. The STT network is currently made up of 6 countries: Benin, Burkina-Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Conakry, Senegal and Togo.

The first meeting, which also constitutes the establishment of this network, was held from October 18 to 22, 2018 in Grand Bassam in Côte d'Ivoire.

For this second meeting, researchers from the different member countries of the network presented articles on two themes as follows:

 « Electoral violence in Africa – What solutions? »

“Obstacles related to the free movement of goods and people in the ECOWAS region”.

The results of the article on violence during elections in Africa highlight the different forms of violence in African states, as well as the consequences and manifestations that result from this violence.

With regard to that on economic integration in the ECOWAS area, free trade where freedom of movement of people in the ECOWAS area seems to be the best respected among all freedoms (according to a study carried out in 2010 , 96% of those interviewed certify that visas and entry permits have been abolished between Member States compared to 52% of those interviewed who find the movement of people and goods for business difficult or very difficult). On the other hand, many obstacles remain linked to the free movement of goods and people in the ECOWAS region. These obstacles include:

unofficial payments of amounts ranging from 1-5 USD persist

the official obstacles linked to the non-standard application of the texts

unofficial obstacles such as racketeering, and real ones not affected by ECOWAS agreements.

The lack of knowledge of the texts on free movement by the actors concerned does not favor their application either.

At the end of this second meeting, three new themes were identified and will be the subject of the next meeting in September 2019 in Lomé, Togo.