CEMAC Ministers Push Formal Notices, Sanctions Mechanism for Free-Roaming Delays
CEMAC countries are pushing operators to finally eliminate mobile roaming charges across the region.
Regulators may face sanctions as repeated deadlines for free roaming implementation are missed.
Technical, contractual, and regulatory delays continue to hinder regional telecom integration.
Member states of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) have recommended that national authorities issue formal notices to operators and regulators that are still delaying the removal of mobile roaming charges under the free-roaming regime.
The recommendation was issued on Saturday, 13 June, during the 45th regular session of the Council of Ministers of the Central African Economic Union (UEAC) in Brazzaville. The CEMAC Commission was also tasked with developing a sanctions mechanism for cases of non-compliance with the regional regulation on mobile roaming.
The regulation was adopted in August 2020, and bilateral protocols were signed in November 2021. In April 2024, the Central African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (ARTAC) revealed that, of the 213 interconnections planned between operators across the sub-region, only two were operational: MTN Cameroon with MTN Congo, and Airtel Gabon with Orange Cameroon. In March 2025, a meeting of telecommunications ministers held in Bangui gave stakeholders three months to complete the technical and regulatory rollout of the framework. That deadline was not met.
According to ARTAC, the obstacles identified include slow progress in finalizing tariff agreements between regulators, delays in signing interconnection and roaming contracts, technical difficulties in distinguishing roaming traffic from regular international traffic, and the absence of direct links between certain operators.
The initiative mirrors efforts underway in other African regional blocs. In West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is continuing efforts to harmonize roaming services among several member countries in order to facilitate communications and support regional economic integration. In March 2026, Senegal launched free roaming with Benin, The Gambia, Mali and Togo. Within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC), the implementation of regional roaming services is also advancing.
