Rwanda Announces Visa-Free Entry For All Africans
The president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, on Thursday, announced the lifting of visa restrictions for all Africans wanting to visit the Central African nation.
“Any African, can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish and they will not pay a thing to enter our country”, the Rwandan president said at the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council.
“We should not lose sight of our own continental market. Africans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come,” he added.
Thelagostimes recalls that on Monday, the president of Kenya, William Ruto, declared that by December 31, all Africans will be granted entry into Kenya without a visa.
“By the end of this year, no African will need a visa to enter Kenya. The time has come to understand the importance of doing trade between us.
“It is time we realize the importance of trading among ourselves and allowing goods, services, people, and ideas to move freely across the continent,” he had said.
Business Insider Africa reports that the African Union introduced the African passport in 2016, promising to “unleash the potential of the continent” in a manner comparable to that of the European Union. However, up until now, the travel document has only been granted to diplomats and AU officials.
According to the African Union’s website, the African Passport and free movement of people are intended to “remove restrictions on Africans ability to travel, work, and live within their own continent.”
