";s:4:"text";s:1531:"COMESA Members States . Tanzania has decided to withdraw from the 22-nation Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA). The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) comprises 21 African Member States that came together with the aim of promoting regional integration through trade and the development of natural and human resources for the mutual benefit of all people in the region. COMESA was formed in December 1994, replacing a Preferential Trade Area which had existed since 1981. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is a free trade area with twenty-one member states stretching from Tunisia to Eswatini. Nine of the member states formed a free trade area in 2000 (Djibouti, Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe), with Rwanda and Burundi joining the FTA in 2004, the Comoros and Libya in 2006, Seychelles in 2009 and Tunisia and So… Flag Country Capital Calling Code Currency Independence Day Head of Government Head of State; Republic of Burundi: Bujumbura +257: Burundi franc (FBu)(BIF) Jul.01.1962: President Pierre Nkurunziza: Union of the Comoros: Moroni +269: Comorian franc (KMF) Jul.06.1975: President Azali Assoumani: The first sign of this move had been a speech … The Guardian reported that Minister for Industry and Commerce Iddi Simba, had announced on July 2 that, after some research, the country had decided to withdraw because of COMESA’s proposal to reduce customs tariffs for member countries by 90%.