The leaders of 44 African countries have signed a deal to create one of the world’s largest free trade blocs. The agreement was signed on 21 March 2018 at a summit in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. The agreement will need to be ratified by all the signatories’ national parliaments before the bloc becomes a reality.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (“AfCFTA”) has a Protocol on Rules and Procedures for the Settlement of Trade Disputes arising from the commitments undertaken by state parties to the agreement, which is similar to the WTO Dispute Settlement Body. As far as international arbitration is concerned, the Protocol states that parties to a dispute must endeavor to settle their disputes through consultation, conciliation and mediation and if this fails, they can resort to arbitration
procedures facilitated by an arbitration panel established by the Dispute Settlement Body.

Source: The National (25 March 2018)