African Union roots for free movement of persons in the continent

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11 February, 2018 – Source: AMISOM – The eight-member state Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is taking concrete steps towards making the free movement of persons a reality in the 5.2 million square kilometer-trade bloc. The Authority today launched a four-day national consultations workshop on free movement of persons in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, to gather views from local stakeholders and experts on the benefits and barriers of free movement of persons.

Similar consultations are also being held in other member states and once finalized the views gathered will be used in formulating the IGAD Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, aimed at boosting trade and security in the region. The trade bloc, which was established in 1996 to supersede the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), brings together Kenya, Djibouti, Eritrea, South Sudan, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

African Union roots for free movement of persons in the continent from AMISOM Public Information on Vimeo.
“We believe that the free movement of persons and goods is important to all the countries given that it will spur development. We all know how the European Union started and how people can now move by only using their identity cards,” the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ali Mohamed Ali, said during the launch of the consultations.

Mr. Ali noted that once formulated, IGAD Protocol on Free Movement of Persons will benefit Somalia and reiterated the governments support and commitment to the initiative. The meeting in Mogadishu is being attended by senior federal government of Somalia officials, representatives of the federal members states, civil society organizations, academia and members of the international community.

In his remarks, Jamaludin Mustafa Omar, the Chairman of the IGAD Council of Ambassadors, spoke of the numerous benefits that free movement of persons will bring to Somalia, and appealed to the delegates to take the four-day workshop seriously and generate positive outcomes. “This free movement of persons will help reduce poverty, and where people can move freely, there are opportunities which increase the potential for people to send back home remittances and change the lives of the people they left behind,” Ambassador Omar explained.

The sentiments were echoed by Dr. Ahmed Hassan Ahmed, the IGAD Representative, who noted that free movement of persons, will not only enhance regional integration but also boost economies and sharing of information. Speaking at the workshop, the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo, emphasized African Union’s commitment to achieving the free movement of persons on the continent.

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Xafiiska Wararka Qaranimo Online | Muqdisho
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