The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), H.E. Wamkele Mene, has concluded a two-day official visit to the Republic of Tunisia, held on 11 and 12 June 2026. The visit deepened the partnership between the Secretariat and the Government of Tunisia and concluded with an agreed action plan to translate Tunisia’s advanced standing under the Agreement into expanded trade across the continent.
Over the two days, the Secretary-General met the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, H.E. Mohamed Ali Nafti, and the Minister of Trade and Export Development Mr. Samir Abid; addressed the African diplomatic community accredited in Tunis through an engagement at the International Diplomatic Academy of Tunis; held a working dialogue with the Tunisian private sector at the Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX); and held a closing press conference with Tunisian media.
The Secretary-General welcomed Tunisia’s standing among the State Parties most advanced in implementing the AfCFTA. Tunisia ratified the Agreement in 2020, took part in the Guided Trade Initiative, has domesticated its tariff schedule – opening its market for preferential trade under the AfCFTA. To date, more than 300 AfCFTA certificates of origin have been issued by the competent authorities in Tunisia, facilitating trade by Tunisian enterprises across Africa. The Secretary-General acknowledged Tunisia’s constructive role in the negotiations and described the partnership with the Government as a central purpose of the mission, and one that had been achieved.
The visit placed particular emphasis on the private sector, which the Secretary-General identified as decisive in making the Agreement commercially meaningful. In his dialogue with Tunisian enterprises, he defined the identification of markets as the first task – both the African markets to which Tunisia can export and those from which it can import – on the principle that Tunisian products should reach African markets and African products should reach Tunisia. He set out the operational instruments available to enterprises, including the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which enables settlement in local currencies, and digital tools for business connectivity and market intelligence under the trade digitisation initiative pursued since 2020.
The Secretary-General and the Tunisian authorities agreed on an action plan. Deliberately focused, the action plan centres on transport and logistics; a trade corridor linking the Sahel to the Mediterranean; private-sector engagement; and awareness-raising. Progress will be reviewed through continuing dialogue, with several priorities to be taken forward immediately.
Reflecting on the visit, the Secretary-General framed Tunisia’s strong export orientation toward established markets as an opportunity to diversify across the continent, beyond its existing regional integration:
| “The African continent is open for business for Tunisia, beyond COMESA.” |
He added that the Agreement had moved decisively from negotiation to implementation:
| “The AfCFTA is no longer a negotiation. It is an operating reality, and Tunisia is among the countries proving it works.” |
The Secretary-General situated the visit within a continuing sequence of engagement, confirming his return for the Tunisia Investment Forum and, later, for the Tunisia–Africa Business Forum, with the commitment of technical and political support from the Secretariat. Engaged constraints were placed within a coordinated agenda involving governments, the private sector, regional institutions and development finance partners.
ABOUT THE AfCFTA
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the flagship project of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The Agreement establishing the AfCFTA was signed in Kigali in March 2018 and entered into force on 30 May 2019, with trading under the Agreement commencing on 1 January 2021. Fifty-four (54) African Union Member States have signed the Agreement. The AfCFTA Secretariat, headquartered in Accra, Ghana, coordinates the implementation of the Agreement and is headed by Secretary-General H.E. Wamkele Mene.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Mr. Alexandre Siewe Leupi, Senior Advisor, Communications| African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)Secretariat |E-mail: Alexandre.Siewe@au-afcfta.org | Telephone: +233547666885/ +33755454395 (WhatsApp only), Accra, Ghana
Ms. Yafika Chitanda, Communications Officer | African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat| E-mail: Yafika.chitanda@au-afcfta.org| Accra, Ghana
AfCFTA Communication Division: AfCFTA Secretariat Email: info@au-afcfta.org
