Regional technical consultations on livestock movement on policy harmonization, mutual recognition ans corridor trade facilitation for advancing cross-border livestock trade integration under AfCFTA in the Horn of Africa and Sahel Region

The cross-border livestock movements in the Horn of Africa and Sahel are largely governed by informal practices, fragmented national regulations, unharmonized SPS requirements, and weak corridor-level coordination. While AfCFTA provides a continental framework for market access, effective participation of pastoral systems depends on predictable, recognized, and enforceable livestock movement governance. 

The Regional Policy Dialogue held in Naivasha (9–11 July 2025) confirmed progress in AfCFTA ratification, national strategies, tariff offers, and participation in the Guided Trade Initiative, in addition to identifying priority livestock trade corridor for One-Stop Border Posts, OSBPs (e.g., Mandera–Bula Hawa, Liboi–Dhoobley, and Moyale axis). However, it also highlighted persistent policy fragmentation, overlapping REC mandates, corridor-specific tariff and non-tariff barriers, and uneven domestication of AfCFTA instruments, which continue to constrain livestock trade in the Horn of Africa and present comparable constraints across Sahelian livestock corridors linking Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon. Addressing these challenges requires a consolidated country-bilateral, trade-corridor-focused and regionally coordinated policy intervention anchored by AU-IBAR. The APMD Policy Pillar is uniquely positioned to address this gap by bridging policy, institutions, and corridor-level operations, without replacing national sovereignty or REC mandates. 

In this regard, the APMD is organizing this Regional Technical Consultations representing the transition from policy consensus to operational delivery, focusing on enforceable instruments and corridor-level procedures required for AfCFTA-compliant livestock trade through parallel regional implementation tracks for the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. It, therefore, represents the next implementation phase, focusing on operationalizing bilateral and/or multilateral policy harmonization and Mutual Recognition mechanisms required for AfCFTA-compliant market access.

Specific Objectives

1. Operationalize bilateral and/or trilateral policy harmonization arrangements for livestock movement among participating Member States in the Horn of Africa and Sahel Regions.

2. Validate livestock movement permits, SPS certificates, vaccination records, and Halal certification to initiate the development of Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs).

3. Support structured bilateral negotiations to address distortionary tariffs and develop Standard-Operating-Procedures (SOPs) along the three identified priority corridors.

4. Develop the way-forward for promoting the establishment and operationalization of One-Stop Border Posts, OSBPs at the priority livestock-trade corridors.

5. Facilitate structured learning and adaptation of harmonization instruments, MRAs, SOPs, and OSBP approaches for Sahelian livestock corridors linking Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon.

6. Promote inter-REC coordination involving IGAD, EAC, ECOWAS, and ECCAS to support regional coherence and scalability of AfCFTA-compliant livestock trade instruments.

An average of 75 participants ensuring balanced country representation, policy–private sector mix, and inclusion of SPS, trade, custom and border authorities, including:  Regional Economic Communities (RECs): IGAD, EAC, COMESA, ECOWAS, and ECCAS Secretariats; African Union Institutions: DARBE and the AfCFTA Secretariat; Member States – Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia; Member States – Sahel Region: Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon; Veterinary and SPS authorities (CVOs), Halal certification authorities, and customs/border agencies; Private sector livestock traders, exporters, slaughterhouse operators, and market associations;nPastoralist organizations and cross-border pastoral networks.