ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews regionalism in Africa, considering only the principal and most enduring groupings. It examines evidence of subregional African groups pursuing seemingly autonomous foreign policies. The chapter assesses the strength of the linkages between regionalism and foreign policy initiatives and addresses whether the pursuit of an ostensibly independent foreign policy by regional organizations is desirable and/or advisable, given the balkanization of the continent and the severe constraints on its meager resources. It addresses the issue of whether subcontinental foreign policy initiatives, where they exist, have been beneficial to the region, its member states, and Africa as a whole, and also discusses the Lome Convention as a case study to illustrate how a group of primarily African countries have attempted a collective foreign economic policy with Europe.
