Regional integration in the subregions of Africa: Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Along with the globalization process, regionalization movements have gained momentum worldwide. Especially after the Second World War, many political, military, and economic organizations were established in the world, and regionalism was discussed in international relations. In this study, a comparative analysis is made through the explanations in the literature on the success/failure of regional integration processes. Our research question regarding two regionalizations in the Maghreb and Sub-Saharan Africa with different dynamics is "How did ECOWAS succeed despite similar problems, while the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) failed to achieve institutional regional integration?". The success of ECOWAS and the failure of AMU, which shape our research question, is a topic of debate in the literature. The dependent variable is the reasons that lead small/medium states to establish regional integration/order. When the reasons are discussed in the literature, it is observed that there are explanations such as economic interdependence, common identity, resolving conflicts, external actors, and unity against common enemy. The first chapter of the study examines the concept of regional order/integration and its place in the literature. The dimensions of external actor influence on the regional integration of small/medium states are highlighted. In the second chapter, the historical process and institutional objectives of AMU and ECOWAS are shared. Then, its success in the context of regionalization in direct proportion to its objectives and its current situation are compared. It discusses the influence of external actors in the background of the success of ECOWAS in the literature and analyzes that the main reason for the failure of AMU is the policies of external actors towards the member states. In the last chapter, it is argued that regionalization in sub-regions or small/medium states can exist with external actor influence through AMU and ECOWAS.