AfCFTA Secretary-General, FESTU Discuss Greater Trade Union Role in Africa’s Trade and Economic Integration

The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, met leaders of the Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) in Mogadishu on Monday, 17 August 2026, for discussions on the role of workers and organised labour in Somalia’s economic integration under the continental free trade framework.

The FESTU delegation was led by its general secretary, Omar Faruk Osman. The meeting focused on Somalia’s implementation of the AfCFTA and how expanding trade and investment can contribute to decent job creation, stronger labour rights and greater economic opportunities for Somali workers and their families.

The talks came as Somalia deepens its participation in African economic integration, with trade unions seeking to ensure that workers have a meaningful role in decisions that could shape employment, investment and the country’s labour market.

The trade union federation told the AfCFTA delegation that workers should be actively involved in the formulation and implementation of trade policies because decisions on economic integration have direct consequences for jobs, wages, working conditions and labour rights.