Delegates at the 27th Ordinary Session of African Union Summit that concluded in Kigali, yesterday, commended Heads of State and Government and the Union Commission for introducing a Pan-African Passport and urged swift issuance to citizens. The passport was launched Sunday by the Commission Chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, with President Idriss Deby of Chad, the chair of AU, and President Paul Kagame, the host, receiving the ceremonial passport.

The passport is not only expected to ease movement across the continent but also stimulate intra- African trade, according to officials. The New Times’ Rodrigue Rwirahira spoke to some delegates at the summit. Here are what they had to say.

Louise Mushikiwabo, Minister for Foreign Affairs. ‘The time has come for the popularisation process of African Passport to be started. Rwanda is prepared and we are already printing the African Passport. The passport portrays the roadmap through which we seek to move African integration.

We expect that countries will start on modalities and enter into discussions with the African Union Commission to print each country’s Pan-African Passport.’

Eloge Agani, technical advisor to the Benin President. ‘I think that the newly-launched African Passport is a good initiative in the first place, but for that to function, more concrete measures by member states of the African Union will be much more required. There are notable priorities at play for the moment, like removal of visas for Africans travelling to their African countries. We don’t have to forget that there are countries that up to now still make it difficult to visit, thus flexibility from member states will make this initiative successful.’

Dr Mary Tapgun, a delegate from Nigeria. ‘Although I am not fully abreast with the detail of how the new African Passport will operate, I believe it is a good initiative that is likely to change a number of things at the continental level, in line with the visions of this continent that we all love. Time is now for member states to embrace it and work toward its full realisation.’

Raymond Balima, Director-General state protocol, Burkina Faso. ‘This is a step forward in the unity slogan as it was expressed. We are one people and live on one continent, but we shall wait to see the implementation. The initiative will make us feel linked and related. For once, Africa will be stronger to support its independence and sovereignty and this will boost trade on the continent. We are banking on Heads of State and Government to have it popularised.’

Maritse Au, consular official and a delegate from Lesotho. ‘It’s a huge step for integrating the whole continent and achieving objectives of continental free trade areas.

I expect all member states to start working on the modalities of implementation at the national level which, in the end, will benefit the entire continent.’

Marie Joel Awenze, advisor at the Justice Ministry in the Democratic Republic of Congo. ‘The African Passport is one among the few good steps already taken by this Union, our task is to promote it, its applicability is highly needed.

But more financial resources are needed to do so. In other parts of the world like Europe, such ideas have worked very well, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work in Africa as well.’

Arop Deng Kuol, a delegate from South Sudan and ambassador to the African Union. ‘It has been a long awaited decision, and since the African leaders have been working on the unity of the continent, this realisation makes us feel happy. It’s good to move around showing one travel document, even if we come from different corners of the continent. The implementation at the continental level has already been done, that is why the Chairperson of the African Union (President Idriss Deby of Chad) received his yesterday together with host President Paul Kagame. We look forward to issuance at the national level in member states of the African Union.’

Salah Hamad Siddiq, senior human rights expert at the African Union department of political affairs. ‘I think the launch of the African Passport is timely since we are talking about integration, unity and working toward a better future of this particular continent. Simply put, the passport is not about creating new mechanism or new instruments, it is about implementing previous decisions that are focusing on the integration process of the continent. What we are trying to do now, is to send a message to our member states and say the time has come to adopt this decision at the national level. Every member state will issue the passport to the citizens which, in the end, will allow travelers to move freely, and Rwanda is a successful experience after allowing all Africans to come and acquire visas on arrival.’

Solange Rita Agneketom Bogore, deputy minister in charge of regional cooperation in Burkina Faso. ‘The launch of the African Passport was one of the priorities of the 27th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit. This integration will need to be fully realised through free movement of labour and goods.The issuance of the passport will pave way for other initiatives in economic dynamics in the context of promoting trade and tourism, where people can move without being impeded by local challenges, and this will help us to attain the unity we all want, where people can speak one language.’

A delegate from Zambia, who preferred anonymity. ‘Everything has got pros and cons. On one side, we ease the movement of our people and business as well. I am very sure if you have moved around you have seen how cumbersome it can be in the clearance process and visas acquisition. Thus, this can help ease visa acquisition at borders, for example of more than one country, like what happens in the Scandinavian countries, so it is very welcome. The minor thing is where people might want to take advantage of it.’