All Africans will be allowed to enter Rwanda without a visa, this is a deliberate measure aimed at boosting the free movement of people and trade to rival Europe’s Schengen zone.
On Thursday, November 2, 2023, President Paul Kagame made the announcement in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, where he pitched the potential of Africa as “a unified tourism destination” for a continent that still relies on 60% of its tourists from outside Africa, based on data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Kagame said
“Any African can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish and they will not pay a thing to enter our country.
“We should not lose sight of our continental market,” Kagame continued during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council.
“Africans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come.”
This audacious move fits with a more general trend on the continent. USAfricaonline.com also reported earlier that, William Ruto, the president of Kenya, has just announced intentions to allow all Africans to enter Kenya without a visa by December 31.
Rwanda will become the fourth African country—after the Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles—to remove travel restrictions for its own citizens with the implementation of this legislation.
The African Union (AU) introduced the African passport in 2016, aiming to emulate the European Union model by “unleashing the potential of the continent.”
But up until now, this travel permit has only been issued to diplomats and AU officials.
The goal of the African Passport and the larger idea of free movement of people throughout the continent is to remove obstacles that prevent Africans from living, working, and traveling inside their own nations.
A free trade deal across the entire continent with an estimated value of $3.4 trillion has also been launched by the AU, known as the African Continental Free Trade Area.
In the end, this endeavor seeks to promote economic growth and development by creating a single market for the 1.3 billion people that make up Africa.
The move by Rwanda is indicative of a common desire to strengthen intra-African commerce and collaboration.
