Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

COMESA joins Eritrea in celebrating its Independence Day
A proud moment of resilience, unity, and nationhood.
We look forward to continued partnership for a stronger, more integrated region.

Affairs of Eritrea Ministry of Foreign Affairs Union

63 years of unity. 680 million voices in the 21 Member Countries. One Continent. One Vision. One future.

From the fields of Zambia to the tech hubs of Nairobi. From the ports of Mombasa to the markets of Cairo. The Common Market is not just an institution — it is the lived reality of a continent that refuses to be small.

is not just a date on a calendar. It is:

Every farmer who feeds a nation.
Every woman crossing a border to trade.
Every engineer lighting up a village.
Every young mind daring to build tomorrow.

Because when Africa connects,
Africa rises.

COMESA celebrates all 21 Member States and every citizen on this Africa Day 2026.

Happy Africa Day 2026! 🌍🔥

African Union

Promoting Health, Wellness and Resilience at COMESA

COMESA continues to champion a culture of health, wellness, and personal excellence beyond the workplace.

Participation in the 2026 Oceans Half Marathon (21KM) reflects the values we uphold:
💥 Endurance
💥 Discipline
💥 Mental strength

Each kilometre represents the importance of consistency, resilience, and the ability to push beyond limits — principles that equally drive our work and impact across the region.

Completing such a milestone is not only a fitness achievement, but a reminder of the power of commitment, focus, and perseverance.

At , we recognise that a healthy and motivated workforce is key to delivering on our mandate.

**Driving impact. Promoting wellness. Going beyond borders.**

Africa Day Celebrations Kicks Off Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

Today, COMESA is switching gears.
Less boardroom… more culture, colour, and confidence

Thanks to the , colleagues from across our Member States showed up in their traditional attire — and let’s just say… Africa understood the assignment 👏

From bold fabrics to timeless designs, every look is more than fashion —
it’s history, identity, and pride worn out loud.

But here’s the real reason it matters 👇

Africa Day isn’t just a vibe.
It marks the founding of the Organisation of African Unity — now the African Union — a moment that shaped Africa’s journey towards unity, freedom, and shared progress.

So today, we celebrate:
🔥 Where we come from
🔥 The cultures that define us
🔥 And the future we’re building together

Because at COMESA, unity isn’t just policy —
it’s lived, worn, and celebrated.

Its unapologetically African.

📸 https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCUD5N

Advancing Regional Digital Payments in COMESA

The COMESA Clearing House is making strong progress in implementing the COMESA Digital Retail Payments Platform (DRPP) — a transformative initiative aimed at facilitating seamless cross-border payments within the region.

Friendly User Trials (FUT) between Zambia and Malawi, marking a key milestone in the rollout of the platform.

As part of this important development, a delegation from United Bank for Africa (UBA) Zambia visited the COMESA Secretariat. The ASG Administration & Finance Dr. Dev Haman met with Mr. Vibhuti Sharma, Group Head of Embassies, Multilaterals and Development Organizations, America.

UBA will participate in the DRPP FUT as a Foreign Exchange Provider (FXP), strengthening the ecosystem supporting secure and efficient regional digital transactions.

This milestone underscores COMESA’s commitment to advancing financial integration, innovation, and inclusive digital trade across Member States.

The COMESA Assistant Secretary General for Programmes, Amb. Dr. Mohammed Kadah, together with senior officials, engaged the ESAMI delegation led by David Kalaba in a focused discussion aimed at strengthening collaboration between the two institutions.

The exchange was practical and forward-looking. ESAMI provided an update on its programmes, while both sides identified clear opportunities to expand cooperation in areas that directly support Member States.
At the centre of the discussions was the need to review and reposition the existing Memorandum of Understanding, ensuring it reflects current priorities and delivers more targeted, results-oriented collaboration.

Particular attention was given to executive training, applied research, and advisory support, with both institutions aligning on how these can be better deployed to strengthen institutional capacity across the region.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to move quickly towards an updated MoU, with a stronger focus on delivery, relevance, and impact.

Overall, the engagement sets a clear direction—from coordination to implementation, with a partnership designed to respond more effectively to the evolving needs of the region.

From 20–22 May 2026, the COMESA Secretariat hosted a major stakeholders meeting in Lusaka, Zambia for the Operationalisation of Phase 1 Pilot under the REC Focal Point Model on Disability Inclusion.

The goal? Turning conversations into action by strengthening disability inclusion across regional programmes and ensuring development works for everyone.

Why should young people care?
Because inclusion affects education, employment, innovation, leadership opportunities, digital access, and participation in society. The future of Africa cannot be fully built if some voices are left unheard.

This engagement is an important reminder that creating inclusive systems today helps shape a fairer tomorrow for generations to come.

Together, we move toward an Africa where everyone belongs.




https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCUo5S

The –COMESA Strategic Political Dialogue 2026 at the seat of COMESA Secretariat, in Lusaka reaffirmed a shared and forward-looking commitment to strengthening cooperation between our two regions.

Across all opening remarks, a clear and consistent message emerged: the future of regional transformation depends on strong institutional and regional partnerships that deliver coordinated action.

The Dialogue underscored the critical interconnection between trade, peace, security, and infrastructure development as foundational pillars for sustainable and inclusive growth.

As COMESA advances its Medium-Term Strategic Plan 2026–2030, and the European Union implements its Global Gateway strategy, both institutions remain aligned in their ambition to deepen integration, strengthen resilience, and unlock shared prosperity for our people.

📸 https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCUbSk

European Union in Zambia African Union EU International Partnerships African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat EU Delegation to the African Union

🌍 From 5–7 May in Nairobi, COMESA convened Ministries of Health and Industry from its 21 Member States for a regional workshop on Green Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.

Following seven months of consultations, COMESA developed its 10-Year Green Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Strategy and Business Plan, aimed at strengthening sustainable medicine production across Africa.

The workshop focused on:
🛠️ Regional learning and best practices
🤝 Cross-sector collaboration
🌿 Integration into sustainability frameworks
💰 Green financing opportunities
📍 Country-level implementation

The strategy also addresses pharmaceutical pollution and its contribution to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), helping build resilient health systems while protecting the environment.


Secretariat Secretariat Medicines Agency -NEPAD Bank AFRO

COMESA at the Africa Forward Summit: Africa-France Partnership for Innovation and Growth

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), together with some of its institutions, participated in the Africa Forward Summit held in Nairobi, from 11 to 12 May 2026. COMESA Secretariat was presented by Amb. Dr. Mohamed Kadah, Assistant Secretary General for Programmes.

COMESA actively engaged in the Summit which was co-hosted by H.E. President William Ruto of Kenya, Chairperson of COMESA and H.E. President Emmanuel Macron of France. Representing the regional bloc, Amb. Dr. Mohamed Kadah took part in high-level roundtable discussions aimed at advancing regional integration and economic transformation across Africa.

The Summit brought together Heads of State and Government, representatives from the African Union, the United Nations, the International and Regional Organisations, Financial Institutions, entrepreneurs, investors, private sectors, civil society, youth and among others.

The Summit placed a massive emphasis on building a self-sustaining financial framework. Two prominent COMESA institutions—the Trade and Development Bank (TDB), the African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) were at the forefront of the deliberations. Both TDB and ATIDI are expected to play a central role in the newly proposed New Africa Financial Architecture and Development (NAFAD) framework. In a strong vote of confidence in Africa’s financial architecture, France announced its intention to invest in the capital of ATIDI in order to support the de-risk of strategic public and private investments across the continent.

The summit signaled a clear shift away from traditional aid dependency toward equal, mutually beneficial partnerships focused on value creation, infrastructure development, and industrialization—all of which are core priorities of the regional integration agenda.

In his remarks, the President of Kenya highlighted that “Africa cannot trade effectively with itself while its economies remain disconnected from one another. Connectivity is not merely about infrastructure. It is about competitiveness, it is about regional value chains, it is about food security and it is about industrialisation. And ultimately, it is about shared prosperity”.

On the margins of the Summit, Amb. Dr. Kadah witnessed the signing of a Tripartite Agreement between COMESA institution ZEP-RE/ACRE, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and Grameen Crédit Agricole, to launch a EUR 2.2 million technical assistance initiative aimed at de-riskiing credit and expanding access to finance for smallholder farmers in several COMESA Member States, with a target of mobilising up to USD 1 billion in agricultural lending over the next three years.

Zambia