Taking part in the Ouagadougou forum, on the occasion of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of WAEMU on
Pr Alioune Sall, Executive Director of the African Futures Institute based in Pretoria, South Africa, welcomes
the progress made by the West African Economic Monetary Union (UEMOA). But he nevertheless considers that he
There are still challenges to overcome for a good regional integration.
Indeed, significant achievements have been recorded by WAEMU in various fields and sectors.
major issues concerning the development of the Union, according to Professor Alioune Sall, who is taking part in the conference
inaugural Forum of the 25th anniversary of Uemoa, on the theme: "Uemoa, 25 years: Together
let us take up the challenge of the free movement of people and goods in a secure community space”,
this day in Ouagadougou
According to the Director of the African Futures Institute, all the bodies and institutions provided for by the Treaty of
January 1994 are operational, as far as the institutional level is concerned.
The commission and the court of justice have been in place since January 1995; the interparliamentary committee since
March 1998; the regional consular chamber since 1998.
As for the autonomous specialized institutions that are the Bceao and the Boad, they already existed in the
framework of the West African Monetary Union (UEMOA).
In the field of harmonization of legislation, harmonization of the legal, accounting and
public finance and tax statistics is now a reality.
Continuing his diagnosis, he considers that "Since January 2000, the Uemoa zone has been a customs union
characterized by the liberalization of intra-community trade and a Common External Tariff (CET).
Since January 2017, all UEMOA member states have applied the ECOWAS TEC which has entered into force
since January 2015.
In addition, he notes, at the level of the regional financial market, we note the creation of the Regional Council of
public savings and financial markets, the establishment of the Regional Stock Exchange
securities ( Brvm )) in Abidjan.
On the economic level, after 25 years of existence, WAEMU has succeeded in implementing policies
common sectoral policies (Common Energy Policy, Common Industrial Program, Policy
Common Mining, WAEMU Agricultural Policy, Common Infrastructure and Transport Program
road).
In 2006, it initiated a first Regional Economic Program (Per) 2006-2010 devoted in part to
economic infrastructure. The second Per (2018-2022), adopted in May 2018, focuses on the
health and social human resources.
At the macro-economic level, the area achieved an average annual real growth rate of 6.3% per year over
the period 2012-2017.
But, "Despite this convincing progress, particularly on the statutory level, UEMOA is still on the way
of regional integration, faced with five major challenges.

First of all, security governance. Alioune Sall believes that this challenge is certainly the most important
today in the West African sub-region. Because many countries in the area are facing a
jihadist terrorism, violent extremism and communal conflicts, which tend to worsen.
The human, financial and material resources mobilized to deal with it, and the obstacles to free
circulation they cause are so many constraints to regional integration and development.
The second challenge is political governance. According to him, despite the efforts made, none of the countries of
the Union does not escape contestation of electoral processes and results. Lots of diets
are similar to "democratures", as Pius Njawe said.
Many efforts still remain to be made, according to him, to prevent the alternation process from leading
crisis situations detrimental to social peace and economic activity.
As for the third challenge, it concerns the development of human resources. In a context of
globalization and globalization driven by Fiac and science and technology, at the start of the 4th
industrial revolution, human resources in quantity and quality are essential to meet
the challenges of development in the Union.
However, in this area, the situation remains worrying despite the efforts made by the States in recent years.
years,” added Sall.
The fourth challenge relates to infrastructure development. Pr Alioune Sall thinks that the development
transport, communication and energy infrastructure is an imperative that conditions the
trade and facilitates the competitiveness of the UEMOA economic space.
According to him, the isolation of many regions of the area and the high cost of transport,
telecommunications and energy in the sub-region are all factors that militate in favor
actions for the development of the Union's economic infrastructure.
Finally, the fifth challenge is the prospect of integration into the “Eco” Zone. This important decision
for ECOWAS regional integration, which was taken in June 2019, will not fail, according to the director of
Institute of African Futures, to impact the evolution of UEMOA, in particular the release planned in
2020 of a currency called ECO.
When we know the importance of the FCFA in the process of integration of the countries of the UEMOA, we cannot
fail to question the implication of this decision on the future of UEMOA, its modalities
of intervention and its institutional governance," noted the academic.
In his opinion, it is indeed that the UEMOA zone has acquired experience and expertise in the
money and credit management, based on the observation of certain fundamental principles:
“Meeting these different challenges; which are of multifaceted and varied characters, requires a global reflection and
long term on the future of the UEMOA zone, i.e. forward-looking and strategic reflection with the
assistance from all the players in the Union. But also with the actors of ECOWAS”, concluded the academic.