Summary
·
Mr. Ruto
said the existing boundaries between the African countries were a product of
the Berlin Conference “that partitioned our continent and allocated us
boundaries.”
Arusha. President William Ruto of Kenya is appealing for the swift removal of barriers hampering trade in East Africa.
He said in Nairobi on Tuesday that
barriers at border lines were impeding the movement of people, goods, and
services.
“Removal of such barriers is necessary
for sustainable growth and development in the East and Horn of Africa regions,”
he said.
The Kenyan leader criticised
political boundaries as “old-fashioned and divisive” and urged the region to
work together to build bridges of friendship.
“We must not give credibility to the
artificial boundaries that exist in our region,” he said when he launched a
flagship report on migration in the EA and Horn of Africa blocs.
Mr. Ruto said the existing
boundaries between the African countries were a product of the Berlin
Conference “that partitioned our continent and allocated us boundaries.”
“We must bring down these barriers,
convert them to stepping stones, and build bridges of friendship,” said
President Ruto.
The report titled “State of
Migration in the East and Horn of Africa’’ was prepared for the East African
Community (EAC) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad).
Also roped in is the International
Organisation on Migration (IOM), whose regional director, Mr Mohammed Abdiker,
noted that the report examines the various aspects of migration.
These are the free movement of goods
and services and the free movement of persons, which are essential to
harnessing the benefits of intra-African trade.
Another is labour mobility and
economic integration, safer human mobility, and integrated border governance,
especially through One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs).
He said the report would serve as
“an intellectual compass” for defining the future policy agenda of the Regional
Economic Communities (RECs) and governments.
For his part, EAC secretary general
Peter Mathuki said policy suggestions made would be considered in addressing
challenges in advancing the mobility dimensions of regional integration.
These will include labour migration
and continued collaboration between RECs on areas of common interest.
“I am optimistic that practitioners and
policymakers will find this report a valuable basis for migration-related
policy development in an integrated region,” he said.
Dr Mathuki added that the EAC was
working on an improved legal and regulatory environment to provide for labour
mobility by creating the necessary infrastructure in the refugee-hosting areas.
This, he explained, would attract
private sector investment and empower them economically in collaboration with
the UN Refugees Agency (UNHCR), Igad, and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
According to statistics, the EAC
region is hosting about 3.3 million migrants in the form of refugees, of which
Uganda hosts the highest number with 1.6 million refugees.
There are 469,414 refugees in Kenya;
467,744 in DR Congo; 308,374 in South Sudan; 191,042 in Tanzania; 128,064 in
Rwanda; and 110,000 in Burundi.
Dr Mathuki noted that despite the
challenges, migration has also brought about significant positive contributions
to the region, including the transfer of skills and knowledge and remittances.
Igad Executive Secretary, Dr Workneh
Gebeyehu, said the level of analysis and evidence provided by the report is a
true reflection of the state of migration in the region.
“Igad stands ready to implement the
recommendations and suggestions forwarded by the report jointly with Member
States and partners,” he reaffirmed
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