Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on migration across Africa have reiterated their commitment to promoting the ratification of the African Union (AU) free movement protocol.This, they emphasised, would be done through advocacy campaigns, government engagement, and collaborations with regional institutions.The CSOs reiterated their commitment during a two-day high-impact hybrid workshop and advocacy dialogue held in Accra from July 28-29 this year.It was co-organised by the CSO Coalition on Migration in Ghana, with support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through the Programme, "Shaping Development-Oriented Migration (MEG)."The aim of the two-day event was to equip CSO leaders with advocacy tools, policy knowledge, and continental perspectives to strengthen national campaigns for the ratification and implementation of the AU Free Movement Protocol.The African Union (AU) free movement protocol aims to facilitate the free movement of people within the continent.This protocol is designed to complement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by allowing citizens of member states to live and work in other member statesSpeaking at the event, Mr Eric Peasah, Convener of the CSOs Coalition on Migration in Ghana, bemoaned the challenges that affected the free movement on the African continent, including bureaucracy and restrictive visa regimes, hence the need for the ratification of the AU Free Movement Protocol."Africans once journeyed freely from Timbuktu to North Africa, from Kano to Tripoli and across ancient caravan routes.
Though these journeys were long, they were often freer than today's air travel, hampered by bureaucracy and restrictive visa regimes," he stated.Mr Peasah reiterated Dr Kwame Nkrumah's vision of continental unity, stating that "Africa Must Unite is not just political rhetoric; it is an economic, social, and spiritual imperative."The Head of Humanitarian Affairs at the African Union Commission (AUC), Mrs Rita Amukhobu, in her presentation emphasised that despite recurring concerns over regional security, the protocol remained critical to Africa's integration agenda.She urged participants to focus on the progressive realisation of the protocol following ratification as central to the advocacy.The dialogue builds on an earlier international peer-to-peer exchange among civil society organisations from India, Nepal, Vietnam, Kosovo, Georgia, Albania, Serbia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Ghana held in November 2024 and facilitated by GIZ-MEG.It brought together 48 onsite participants and 31 virtual participants representing CSOs from 10 African Union Member States, alongside key policy actors, migration experts, and development partners BY TIMES REPORTER
