In a statement yesterday, AU said the passport was a step towards the fulfilment of the continent’s aspirations as enshrined in Agenda 2063 action plan: to promote greater continental integration and forge a united Africa. According to the AU, the passports will be distributed to all African citizens by 2018. The historic one-week summit scheduled to hold in Kigali, Rwanda, next week, is expected to make landmark deliberations that will bring together heads of state, ministers and the business community from the 54 countries. The statement said: “Countries such as Seychelles, Mauritius, Rwanda and Ghana, have taken the lead in ensuring easier intra-Africa travel by relaxing visa restrictions and in some cases, lifting visa requirements altogether. “The scene seems to be set to realise the dream of visa-free travel for African citizens within their own continent by 2020.” The initiative will be issued to heads of states, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Permanent Representatives of AU member-states based at the AU Headquarters in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. The statement read: “Issuance of the AU e-Passport is expected to pave the way for member-states to adopt and ratify the necessary protocols and legislation, with a view to begin issuing the much expected African passport.” It would be recalled that free movement of persons and trade within the continent had been a longstanding priority among member-states. It is with a view to attain that, that the Abuja Treaty of 1991 was reached. With time, regional bodies, such as the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, had come to adopt common passports. The concept of unrestricted movement of persons, goods and services across regions and the continent is not new, as it had been outlined in documents such as the Lagos Plan of Action and the Abuja Treaty, an indication that the unhampered movement of citizens is critical for Africa’s development.]]>