THE FREE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE IN AFRICA FINALLY BECOME A REALITY?

Executive Summary

The issue of free movement has aroused the interest of Africans for many years and finally seems to be on the right track. It may still be too early to be rejoiced in. But over the past two years, Africa has taken an important step towards regional integration. Several countries have decided to remove border barriers, thus accelerating the dynamic of a free movement so much hoped by the African Union. By the way, the African Union indicated that the continent could soon become borderless with the introduction of a single passport for the entire continent as part of the African Union's Agenda 2063. Launched in 2016, it is currently reserved for diplomats only, but should become more widespread in the coming years. This initiative should allow greater mobility of Africans within the continent and create a sense of belonging to a single community. To do so, African leaders will have to overcome obstacles to free movement in the region. For intra-African mobility to be recognized, everyone must respect the regulatory measures taken and overcome preconceptions. States should therefore cooperate and ensure that the interests of all Africans prevail over the interests of subregions or individual countries.

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Introduction

This year, from 3 to 5 December 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda hosted an economic conference on the free movement of goods and people in Africa. Too often, for thousands of Africans, moving freely from one country to another is a nightmare. Thus, this year's discussions focused on the theme "Regional and continental integration for Africa's development". This is one of the pillars of development put in place by the African Union (AU) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), as the economic benefits of increased intra-continental circulation are numerous.

This conference, among many others, reflects a strong desire emanating from african leaders to open their borders to their neighbours on the continent to such an extent that it is already taking place in some countries.

Since January 2018, for example, there is no longer a visa requirement to enter Rwanda for Africans. This decision follows the decision of the Kigali authorities to exempt nationals of the Central African Republic, Chad, Benin, Senegal, Guinea, Ghana and other countries from visa exemption on a reciprocal basis.

As in Rwanda, does free movement finally seem to have established itself in Africa ?

In order to answer this question, we will first take a look at the current situation of free movement in Africa in order to measure the challenges and then focus on the obstacles that need to be removed.

Research Methodology

The development of this essay has required good research, organization and a sharp critical mind.

My research methodology was first to find reliable sources and documentation on the subject. To do so, I mainly targeted press articles that cover current topics. Finally, press articles are not always the most objective. I have broadened my spectrum of sources to include scientific articles but also the debating video on this theme, which I found very relevant.

Then, it was necessary to extract the key information in order to formulate a problem. To ensure its accuracy, I formulated several structures and chose the angle of the question allowing me to provide the most complete answer.

I found it wise to address the problem from two angles, the stakes and the challenges to be tackled, in order to make the situation effective. This allowed me to make a complete inventory on the subject, to discuss what works and what needs to be improved and then to rebound on the constraints to be taken into account.

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I. Free movement of people : a major stake for the African integration

A. A long-standing desire to build a common space involving the free movement of people

The promotion and facilitation of free movement of people in Africa is not new to African countries. It dates back to the creation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, as one of the main objectives was to promote the unity and solidarity of African countries. The states were invited to coordinate to intensify their cooperation and efforts to improve the quality of life of the peoples of Africa. At the time, the aim was to make the best out of the independence movements that had been developed in Africa since the early 1960s. The wish of African leaders was to build a common future for the continent, as well as for its 230 million souls of the time (Jeune Afrique, 2003).

Although not expressly stated at that time as an objective or priority of the Organization of African Unity, the idea of the free movement of African people, at the heart of the creation of the OAU, included a proposal to facilitate the crossing of borders. However, it was not until 1980-2000, with the Lagos Plan of Action for Africa's Economic Development, that the idea of the free movement of people in Africa took a real step forward.

Nevertheless, the Lagos Plan of Action faced significant challenges, in particular due to the imposition of a counter-plan by international financial institutions.

It was only after the adoption of the 1994 Abuja Treaty establishing the African Economic Community, which emerged as a mean of accelerating regional integration on the continent, that the concept of the free movement of person in Africa, codified in an act of commitment, became a reality.

In order to ensure to facilitate the achievement of its vision, the 1980 Lagos Plan of Action recognized five regional objectives for North Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa and West Africa. So far, disparities between regions can be observed. West Africa and East Africa are the two most advanced regions in terms of the free movement of goods and people. The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Marcel de Souza, has even described his regional organization as a "champion" of free movement in Africa.

It was in particular to combat regional disparities that the Organization of African Unity (OAU) became the African Union in 2002, with the priority of integrating the continent.

Tacitly, the heads of state acknowledged that their country's independence did not allow them to meet the challenges of liberalizing the regional blocs.

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B. The Pan-African passport as a mean to achieve greater continental integration

Achieving the shared vision of a united and prosperous Africa requires concerted and well-managed development actions. Agenda 2063 was drawn up in this context. It is the process of realizing the African dream of a united and prosperous continent over the next 50 years. It is a new vision, a new continental policy for Africa's development.

Beyond these textual foundations, multiple initiatives have been carried out since the early 2000s, such as the introduction of an African passport.

Thus, the first conference bringing together African intellectuals and the diaspora in 2004 encouraged the African Union to promote the concept of African citizenship and develop an African passport. The most significant decision resulted from the Executive Board in 2005 urging Member States to facilitate the free movement of persons in Africa and to introduce an African diplomatic passport, which should then be extended to all citizens. Since then, the issuance of such a passport has been made effective under the aegis of the African Union. Although the document is currently only available to diplomats, this is an important first step, as it is recognized by all Member States.

The first two copies of the pan-African passport were handed over to Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno at the 2016 AU Summit in Kigali, Rwanda's capital.

On this occasion, Kagame encouraged other African countries to adopt visa-free policies, which has allowed Rwanda to rank among the best African countries in the world where it is easier to do business according to the World Bank's index.

At that time, it was easier for an American than an African to travel to the continent. For example, an African needs visas to travel in 55% of African countries, while a North American needs visas in only 45% of these same countries. And the same Americans can get their visas when they arrive in 25% of these countries, compared to 35% for Africans. Only 13 african countries are freely accessible to the continent's people (Benin Web TV, 2018).

Fortunately, like Rwanda, a pioneer in this field, other African countries, such as Benin and the Seychelles, have already begun to open their borders to their African neighbours.

Ideally, the African Union would like to see a general trend towards the integration of the Organization's Agenda 2063 for a united and integrated Africa.

The process of generalizing the full free movement of persons is already under way in subregions such as ECOWAS, which have a long tradition of free movement of persons. Elsewhere, other sub-regions in Africa have a less positive balance sheet. This is particularly the case for CEN-SAD and IGAD

To bridge these gaps, the continent approved a protocol on free movement at the AU summit in January 2018, currently signed by 27 countries.

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C. A dynamic already