African Unification Front
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July 6, 2005 [The Post - Lusaka]
AU Ponders Free Movement for African Citizens
By Webster Malido
Sirte, Libya
THE African Union (AU) is pondering the possibility of African citizens to move freely around the continent as it pursues the idea of issuing what it calls an African passport to all African citizens.
This was highlighted by AU Commission chairperson Alpha Konare during his official statement at the opening of this year's heads of state assembly here.
The proposal is also contained in the draft report which was expected to be endorsed by African leaders by yesterday.
The draft recommendations call upon AU member states to facilitate and pursue free movement in Africa gradually considering the interdependence of social, economic, security and human rights dimensions of the movement of persons within the African Union.
The Executive Council of ministers is thus urging member states to ensure that the process of facilitating free movement must be implemented at bilateral, sub-regional and regional levels, from which an Africa wide framework would be developed.
The AU states that it accepts the concept of an African passport in principle and therefore recommends that further consultations be carried out at national, sub-regional, regional and continental levels to address all pertinent issues including constitutional, legal, social, economic, security and human rights aspects.
The AU is also in agreement with the proposal for the issuance of an African diplomatic passport and recommends that consultations should be done before the exercise is undertaken.
The AU Commission has since been requested in consultation with member states to consider establishing a committee of experts, charged with providing guidance to the Commission on matters relating to free movement of persons to carry the process forward.
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