It would seem that this idea of a free trade agreement between the EU and Africa, the likes of the Schengen zone, is being, and has been, planned and executed for some time now. A plan has been laid out, carrying it out is a different matter, though.
A pattern I have noticed is that the trend is towards eventual globalisation through the creation of continental Unions, by way of developing regions first and in time combining them into supra-national Unions.
The model for this is, of course, the EU. The eventual plan of the EU is to have all European countries join, even Russia and Turkey, and centralise power in a few centres of power along the continent.
This is the guiding principle behind the AU, the African version of the EU: the African Union. There are plans for an Asian Union, although if there will be one or more is undecided. A North American Union, a South American Union… you get the point.
A big step towards this is the undertaking of creating a continent-wide highway system which would make the transfer of goods (and people) a smooth process. ...