On January 1, the long-held dream of creating a pan-African free trade zone became a reality with the launch of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA). What makes this project unique, according to Center for Global Development Senior Policy Fellow Gyude Moore, is that this is an African initiative whose success or failure won’t depend on the U.S., Europe, China, or other international partners.

The following is an unedited transcript of Moore’s six-part Twitter thread posted last week, one day after the start of the AfCTA:

Today is a big day for Africa. The AfCFTA is an Africa-initiated and Africa-led integration project. It is not some European partnership or compact with Africa. It’s not where Africa fits in China’s dual circulation or America’s  “Prosper Africa.”