AU urges member states to create competitive business environment

African heads of state gather for a group photograph at the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 5, 2022. [AP photo]

Overcoming fragmentation has been an enduring theme in African statecraft since the 1960s.

The concept is expressed in liberation songs as the 'United States of Africa'; in political and social discussions, it's referred to as 'African Unity' and in economic circles as 'Africa integration'.