Diagnostic, entraves et importance des corridors de transport routier dans le processus d’intégration régionale en Afrique de l’Ouest : le cas du Sénégal et ses pays voisins

Abstract

Abstract: African integration is a concept that has gained new momentum in the world since the mid-1990s. This new trend also concerns West African States. The first attempts at regional integration had a first phase, during the 1960s and 1970s, and produced mixed results, often disappointing in terms of trade creation and acceleration of economic growth. The renewed interest in regional integration now raises the question of its influence on the economies of the countries concerned. New attempts made with regard to regional integration raise the question of its influence on the economies of the countries concerned, with the establishment of basic infrastructures. Among which, there are the road transport corridors, because they constitute the main means of communication in the region or the sub-region. Thus, based on a large literary review, qualitative and quantitative surveys near the Senegalese border control services, the Ministry of Transport and that of the economy and the budget, this present study sets as its main objective, to analyze the obstacles to the road transit of goods, services and people between Senegal and neighboring countries with a view to strengthening regional integration in the West African space. Thus the results first reveal that regional integration in West Africa in general and in particular between Senegal and its neighboring countries is strongly hampered by abnormal practices such as: road harassment, illicit perceptions on road transport corridors, the innumerable number of checkpoints, etc. ; then, they show that the road transport corridors that connect Senegal and neighboring countries mostly need to be rehabilitated or renovated and must be strengthened to; and finally, they show that the application of ECOWAS and UEMOA Decisions and Conventions would allow road transport corridors to be vectors and carriers of regional integration between Senegal and its neighboring countries