Regionalism as policy autonomy in post-colonial contexts: insights from Africa

This chapter explores how post-colonial Africa has adopted policy autonomy within various regionalisms that are seen as catalysts of the renaissance and emancipation of the continent, especially in the post-COVID-19 era. Using case studies of African regionalism, the chapter argues that the search for autonomy has been a mixed bag. Through the African Centre for Disease Control, the continent has efficiently managed the COVID-19 pandemic and scaled up disease surveillance. The African Peer Review Mechanism as an act of African rebellion to Western democracy standards has encouraged national ownership in ‘getting politics right’. This has not necessarily worked out. Conflict, coups, and political instability has run down states, with the African Union and sub-regional entities failing to show adequate leadership. This has allowed global actors to meddle in their affairs, thus diluting their autonomy. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is equally still tied to the Western asymmetrical relations and bogged down by national interests, but it remains the most deliberate effort to emancipate Africa through intra-continental trade. Nonetheless, this suggests that policy autonomy resides not just within individual states but also through collective and cohesive Africa-wide continental initiatives.