BY GRACE MACHA IN ARUSHA
There is no more requirement for visas to the nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) intending to visit Tanzania and Kenya.
The two founder countries of the East African Community (EAC) have waived the restriction for the Congolese effective two weeks ago.
While Kenya halted the visa requirement on August 25th, Tanzania which shares a long border with DRC, followed suit from September 1st.
DRC, which joined the EAC bloc in March last year, has subsequently lifted visa restrictions for Kenyan nationals effective 1st September, 2023.
This, according to the EAC secretariat,was in reciprocation of the move by Kenya to waive visa requirements for DRC nationals.
EAC has lauded the move by Tanzania and Kenya, saying it was a sign of cementing the integration of the seven nation bloc.
"It is in line with the provisions of the EAC Common Market Protocol", the EAC secretary general Peter Mathuki said in a statement issued on Friday.
The Protocol signed in November 2009 and enforced in July 2010, has a number of provisions such as freedoms and rights and provides for the free movement of persons and workers across the region.
Dr. Mathuki said that the waiver of the visa requirements was a demonstration of political goodwill among the partner states in the union.
The measure would not only promote regional integration but also boost intra-regional trade and the welfare of EAC citizens.
“In addition to improving intra-regional trade, free movement of persons will promote the free movement of goods, labour, cultural exchange and domestic tourism in East and Central Africa,” said Dr. Mathuki.
He urged the other EAC partner states to waive visa requirements and other cross border restrictions " in the spirit of reciprocity".
“This is a positive step towards consolidating the gains made in implementing the EAC Common Market Protocol and other stages in the integration process.
"It is set to expand trade and investment opportunities, and scale up socio-economic growth across the bloc,” he pointed out.
The vast and resource-rich DR Congo joined the EAC last year as its seventh Partner States. The other partner states are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.
With nearly 100 million people, DR Congo is the most populous member country in the Community and shares the common border with all EAC states, except Kenya.
Article 10 of the EAC Common Market Protocol states that citizens of EAC partner states are at liberty to accept employment within the territories of Partner States other than their own.
Dr. Mathuki called on other EAC member countries that have not yet waived visa requirements for DRC citizens to expedite the negotiations with the bloc’s newest member in line with the provisions of the Common Market Protocol on the free movement of persons and workers.
Article 7 of the EAC Common Market Protocol stipulates that ‘EAC Partner States shall ensure non‐discrimination of the citizens of the other Partner States based on their nationalities by ensuring entry of citizens of the other Partner States into the territory of the Partner State without a visa and free movement of persons who are citizens of the other Partner States within the territory of the Partner State.’
It further outlines that ‘EAC citizens are allowed to stay in the territory of a Partner State and exit without restrictions.’
The lifting of the visa restrictions is in line with a directive by President William Ruto on 29th July, 2023 in Mombasa that Kenya would remove DRC from Category 2 to Category 1 of visa regulations.
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