This new Pan-African passport will be launched next month at the AU summit in Kigali, Rwanda. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has described this initiative as both symbolic and significant, calling it a “steady step toward the objective of creating a strong, prosperous and integrated Africa, driven by its own citizens and capable of taking its rightful place on the world stage.”
The first group of beneficiaries will include: AU Heads of State and Government; Ministers of Foreign Affairs; and the Permanent Representatives of AU Member States based at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The concept of unrestricted movement of persons, goods and services across sub-regions and the continent is not a new one. It has been outlined in documents like the Lagos Plan of Action and the Abuja Treaty – an indication that the unencumbered movement of citizens is critical for Africa’s development.
Countries such as Ghana, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Rwanda have taken the lead in ensuring more seamless intra-Africa travel by relaxing visa restrictions and in some cases lifting visa requirements altogether. These countries are certainly leading the way when it comes to realizing the dream of visa-free travel for African citizens within their own continent by 2020.
Skeptics are suggesting that this type of pan-African travel initiative may threaten the safety and security of people living across the continent as terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Al Shabab will now have an easier time crossing country borders.
What do you think about this initiative? Is it a good one. Drop your comments below
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