Against the backdrop of African Continental Free Trade (AFCTA) regime, a railway advocacy group, African Railway Roundtable, has appealed to the incoming Chairman of African Union (AU) to prioritise the revival of the African Railway Union (ARU).
A statement by the Director, African Railway Roundtable, Olawale Rasheed, Friday in Abuja, said ARU was set up in 1972 as a specialised agency of AU, however, it has remained paralysed and moribund for the past one decade.
Rasheed, who doubles as CEO of African Railway Consult Limited, said: “The railway union with headquarters in Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of Congo and chaired by Tunisia, was set up to study means of unifying African railways, improve existing railway services, connect existing railways, normalise and standardise railway equipment and coordinate with other modes of transport as mostly accepted by leaders across the continent.
‘For Africa to grow and take its rightful place in global trade, it is important for our rail transport to be efficient and effective as well as globally competitive to provide our companies with a competitive advantage in the global markets.
“The African Union fundamental goals for rail must support economic integration under AfCFTA. To achieve that, a revived African Railway Union is a key condition.
“With the ARU up and doing, the goal of a strong harmonisation and rationalisation of Africa cross-border rail transport and trade regulations can be accomplished.
“It is in view of the preceding that we appeal to incoming Chairman of African Union and all African Heads of State to wade into the feud that has grounded the railway body.”
The grouped furtehr stated that, “As African leaders elect a new Chairman in the person of President Felix Tshisekedi of DRC next month; we submit that AfCFTA without a continental railway agenda is a major loophole. Getting African Railway Union off ground is a strategic decision with multiple multiplier effect.”
