The 19-country Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), Africa's largest trading bloc, will finally launch its customs union at a long-awaited summit in Zimbabwe in June, Comesa said Friday.

The summit of heads of state and government, which was twice postponed last year, will be held on 7 and 8 June at the Victoria Falls resort, Comesa secretary general Sindiso Ngwenya told journalists in Harare Friday.

"We shall have the launching of the Comesa customs union during the summit," he added.

Comesa said it will finance the summit, as Zimbabwe's new unity government struggles to find money to feed the population and pay public sector workers.

The government is looking for US$10-billion dollars towards rebuilding the economy after a decade of disastrous policies under Mugabe, who remains president but had to give up some of his powers to his longtime rival and now prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai.

Ngwenya revealed that the bloc was considering providing aid to Zimbabwe.

"We are not going to talk numbers. We are working with the ministries, governments and industry (of Comesa member states) to discuss their requirements," Ngwenya said.

Comesa's members include Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Sudan and Zambia.

Sapa

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