President Hage Geingob said intra-Africa trade should be prioritised and increased in order to add value to the natural resources before they are exported.

Geingob said this in an interview with the media on Monday, shortly after his arrival from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he participated in the 36th African Union (AU) Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

“Intra-African trade must be increased before we go outside so we also add value to our resources instead of sending them in their raw form,” said the Namibian Head of State.

The president, whilst attending the meeting in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, said the members discussed that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is an avenue they must use to trade among themselves.

Additionally, he said, the assembly discussed reports given from different sectors, including the security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where following years of economic and political decline and two regional wars, people in DRC continue to face extreme violence, massive displacement and widespread rape.

“We were not discussing national statements. We were just talking about the reports given by different sectors. Otherwise, it was the normal reports on the security situation of course, which we are faced in DRC,” Geingob said.

He further stated that eventually, the Heads of State and Government discussed the well-being of African people, including the question of diseases and wars affecting the well-being of Africans.

The two-day AU summit took place between Saturday and Sunday, under the theme ‘The Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation”.

The Assembly of Heads of State and Government is the AU’s supreme policy and decision-making organ.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency