Africa: Trade hangs in the balance

Infrastructure development and streamlined processes have helped the East African Community make great strides to become one of the most successful trading blocs in Africa. But regional inconsistencies threaten to derail further integration.

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General Motors East Africa’s (GMEA) headquarters is a few miles from the heart of Nairobi along the Mombasa highway. While the traffic moves quickly, time is wasted getting to the Motor Vehicle Association quarterly meeting being held there because security is strict: the whole city has been on high alert since the Westgate Mall terror attacks last September.

In a cramped meeting room, around 15 people, mainly men, who all work in the automotive industry in Kenya, are sitting around a small conference table.

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