Rwanda hosts meeting to discuss on opening up African borders

Displaced people approach the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, as seen from Gisenyi, November 20, 2012, as the Congolese Revolutionary Army fights with the DRC government army on the periphery of Goma, the capital of Congo’s North Kivu province. Rwanda accused U.N.-backed Congolese forces of shelling its territory during a battle with rebels near the border on Monday but said it had no plans to respond militarily to what it called Kinshasa’s “provocation”. REUTERS/James Akena (RWANDA – Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS)

By: Ahmed Mohamed

Rwanda is hosting the second member states Experts’ Meeting on the Draft Protocol on Free Movement of Persons in Africa which begun on 23rd this month.

The event was organised by Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and the African Union Commission.

The meeting is taking place at Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village.

The theme of the meeting is: “Free movement of people in Africa is fundamental pillar for the continent integration process.”

The meeting brought together senior government officials from the AU Member States that are concerned with the issue of movements of persons in their respective countries and subsequently, provide critical observations and recommendations on the draft of the protocol and its implementation framework.

However, the draft protocol will be considered and adopted by AU Heads of State and Governments during the AU Summit in January 2018.

Experts in the meeting are expected to critically consider the draft protocol on free movement of persons to be submitted for consideration at ministerial level.

The member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are expected to take up the issue on the free movement of persons in Africa for in-house works in preparation for the January 2018 African Union Summit.

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