The African Union (AU) Commission will lauch in the context of the Africa Day celebrations on 25 May  2007 a continent diplomatic passport that will be strictly issued to African Heads of State and Government, Ministers, Ambassadors and leaders of African institutions. According to the Chairperson of the AU Comission, Alpha Oumar Konare, this document will symbolize African solidarity and will enable these personalities to travel across the continent without any visa.

This inititative, as symbolic as it is, and althought viewed as a first step towards accelerating the free movement of persons, goods and services on the continent, is however exemplifying a reality, that of an integration undertaken from the top without similar efforts to get African populations involved. In that respect, freedom of movement in some sub-regions, still remains a challenge for Africa integration.

Source: Southern African News Features