Rwanda welcomes decision by Namibia to scrap Visas for Africans

02 Novembre 2017

Kigali, Rwanda, November 2 (Infosplusgabon) -  Rwanda's Foreign Affairs Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, has hailed the decision by Namibian authorities to scrap all visas to the Southern African nation for Africans in 2018.

During the implementation of this decision, Namibia will issue visas on arrival to all African passport holders with immediate effect, it said.

In addition, Citizens of African countries wishing to visit Namibia will not need to apply  for a visa; instead, a multi-entry waiver will be issued at the port of entry.

As per the decision, nationals of 54 African countries can now visit Namibia for up to 90 days (multiple-entry) during a visa waiver period that is valid for 180 days.

"This is a great news (...) We are getting closer and closer to our integration, with free movement of Africans across Africa," Rwandan Foreign affairs minister reacted in a message posted on her twitter handle.

Latest official reports indicate that Africans who need visas to travel to 55 per cent of other African countries, can get visas on arrival in only 25 per cent of other countries and don’t need a visa to travel to just 20 per cent of other countries on the continent.

Drawing on this trend, the African Development Bank (AfDB) indicates, in its latest Africa Visa Openness Index report, that until recently, only 13 African countries were offering liberal access to other Africans.

The Africa Visa Openness Index measures how open African countries are when it comes to visas by looking at what they ask of citizens from other countries in Africa when they travel.

President Kagame is among the group of African leaders who are lobbying and pushing for the adoption of the first ever Common Africa Passport that was launched on the sideline of 27th AU summit that took place in Kigali in July 2016.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/ISO/GABON 2017

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