IGAD Holds Consultations For Free Movement Of Persons

[Elisabeth Janaina]

IGAD Holds Consultations For Free Movement Of Persons
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), has started
consultations for ratification of the Protocol for Free Movement of
people in the region.
14 September 2017
IGAD Holds Consultations For Free Movement Of Persons
Officials from the South Sudan Immigration Department during the
consultative meeting on Wednesday. [Photo by Jale Richard]

By Jale Richard

JUBA, 14 September 2017 [Gurtong]-IGAD member states include Ethiopia,
Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, South Sudan, Eritrea (inactive) and
Somalia.

IGAD secretariat started a three day meeting on Wednesday with
officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation, Ministry of Interior and civil society organizations
seeking their inputs to the document. Similar meetings have also been
held in Djibouti and Uganda.

The consultative workshop aims at gathering information on barriers
and benefits to free movement of persons in the IGAD region;
generating national recommendations towards the provisions of the
protocol on free movement of persons in the IGAD region, and to drive
national inputs in to the development of the road map for the
negotiation and conclusion of the protocol on free movement of persons
in IGAD region.

Deputy Minister of Interior, Riaw Gatlier Gai said South Sudan will
look in to the document and deliberate on it so that all challenges
facing IGAD member States in regard to free movement of people can be
addressed.

He said there are a lot of challenges facing South Sudan regarding
free movement of people since majority of South Sudanese are
illiterate.

“When you come to movement of workers, those about 70 percent who are
illiterate will not go anywhere to seek for jobs while those in other
countries will be coming here to get what they are looking for which
is a challenge to us,” he said.

Gai also said there is a challenge of movement with arms in regard to
the pastoral communities.

“If free movement is allowed then many arms could enter some
countries,” he said.
However, Gai said he hopes those challenges will be addressed by
relevant legal frameworks suitable for every member State.

IGAD Executive Secretary Ambassador Mahboub Maalim said the
consultative meeting is aimed at getting the views of IGAD member
States in regard to free movement of its people.

He said the benefits of free movement have been clearly demonstrated
by the European Union and he believes that the IGAD region will have
the opportunity to move freely and own property in any IGAD member
State.

Ambassador David Buom Choat Director for African Union and IGAD in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said free
movement of people will not entirely be free but some regulations will
be put.

“When you have people of the region moving within the region, any
country will make sure that their national interests are there and the
national interests are to protect the security of the nation,” he
said.

Choat said within the protocol, South Sudanese would also benefit
through getting jobs in other countries in the IGAD region.

The head of Mission of the European Union (EU) delegation, Stefano De
Leo said free movement of people would benefit the region through
accessing the welfare system of other countries.

He said promoting peace; values of well beings of human rights are
possible if countries share the same goals and the same territory.

De Leo said free movement of people includes equality, respect for
human rights, democracy and rule of law “because member States that
come to share the vision have to recognize that they are
interdependent, have to work together and have to cooperate to achieve
a given goal.

He said the challenge is to harmonize all the external border controls
in order to avoid challenges of terrorists and preventing other people
to enter the region.

De Leo said there should also be a common visa policy.