Africa Needs Unity and Free Movement for All Africans
In a recent article on Al Jazeera, Tafi Mhaka highlights the importance of African unity and the need for freedom of movement across the continent.
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote spoke at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, expressing his frustration with the difficulty of traveling across Africa compared to Europe. He needs 35 different visas to travel within Africa, unlike Europeans who move freely.
This problem isn’t just an inconvenience for wealthy businesspeople like Dangote; it severely affects millions of African migrants who face significant obstacles to achieving safety, stability, and prosperity due to strict visa rules. These rules also harm Africa’s economic development and efforts to achieve unity.
In the past, cities like Harare, Zimbabwe, were diverse and welcoming. Migrants from various African countries lived and worked together, contributing to the local economy.
However, over the years, many African countries, including Zimbabwe, have implemented laws that restrict foreign ownership of businesses, discriminating against African migrants.
These laws limit opportunities for non-citizens, damaging the dream of a united Africa.
For instance, Zimbabwe’s 2013 laws and Botswana’s 2019 regulations reserve certain business sectors for locals only. South Africa and other countries have also taken similar measures. Such actions reflect a growing trend of Afrophobia, where Africans discriminate against other Africans.
The African Union (AU) adopted the Free Movement of Persons (FMP) Protocol in 2018, aiming to allow visa-free travel, residence, and business rights across member states. However, only 33 out of 55 countries have signed it, and just four have ratified it.
To overcome this issue, African leaders and citizens need to embrace unity and open borders for all Africans.
This would boost economic growth and provide stability for migrants. The European Union’s success with free movement shows it can be an economic game-changer.
In summary, Africa must fight Afrophobia and promote unity by making it easier for Africans to move, live, and work across the continent.
This perspective echoes Tafi Mhaka’s call for action in his Al Jazeera article.
(Source: Al Jazeera)
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/6/13/afrophobia-is-destroying-the-african-dream