Kenya’s candidate for the Africa Union Commission (AUC) Chairmanship Raila Odinga has hinted at plans to roll out AU Visas if his bid for the top seat is successful.
Odinga said the AU Visas would enhance free movement of people and goods across the continent to promote intra-Africa trade.
Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement which was signed in 2018, he said has failed to register success due to bottlenecks which hamper movement from one country to another.
Traders and businessmen, he said are required to have up to 35 visas to travel across Africa whereas their counterparts who hold French passports were freely travelling across the continent since they do not require a visa to do so.
This, he said, has seen growth of Intra-Africa trade as a share of global trade decline to13.7% in 2022 with African countries trading more outside the continent.
Odinga said his priority if elected AUC Chair will be to unite the continent to speak with one voice to unlock bottlenecks in trade among other issues.
Speaking during the official opening of the World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in Kisumu, Odinga said he would leverage the continent’s rich culture, music and culinary arts to forge a unified front that will unlock opportunities for the continent.
“We enjoy Congolese music across the continent just the way we enjoy Ethiopian delicacies among others but we have failed to use this diversity to unify the continent,” he said.
This, he said, was in line with the Africa Union Agenda 2063 which is hinged on culture and diversity.
“We want to tap Africa’s rich heritage and culture through promotion of creative arts to contribute to the continent’s economic growth,” he said.
Integration, he said, is an idea whose time has come calling on African states to embrace it for the benefit of the continent.
Top on his agenda, he added, will be to address the challenges among them monetary barriers, poor infrastructure and closed borders to enhance integration and trade.
Speaking during the same occasion, former Nigerian President Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo said it was unfortunate that the continent remained poor despite being endowed with rich natural resources.
“Africa has no reason to be poor. The fact that we are poor is not an act of God. It is because of a poor mentality which we must address,” he said.
To turnaround the continent’s economy, he said the AUC must be overhauled to live up to the challenges facing modern day Africa.
He said it was unfortunate that despite the huge resources on the continent, AUC programmes have stalled since the commission was waiting for funds from donors.
“How can you have a continental body which has programs but waits for the European Union (EU) to bring money to start the projects?” He questioned.
While backing Raila Odinga’s candidacy, Dr. Obasanjo said the task required a person who has the zeal, connections and determination to take Africa forward.
“We need a man who understands the problem of Africa and what role AU has to play and I believe we have that man in Raila Odinga,” he said.
Raila will face off with Djibouti’s Mohamoud Youssouf, Anil Gayan (Mauritius) and Richard Randriamandrato (Madagascar) for the African Union Commission chairmanship in the race to succeed the outgoing chairman Moussa Faki of Chad.
Somalia’s former Foreign Affairs Minister Fawzia Yusuf, dropped her bid for the AUC job.
By Chris Mahandara
