Ethiopia will soon allow all Africans to visit the country without visas, according to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
After Rwanda’s decision to allow African to enter the country without a visa. The issuance of visa-on-arrival for all countries was widely applauded by many across the continent.
Speaking during a state banquet for Paul Kagame last Friday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Ethiopia will follow Rwanda’s example very soon. Kagame was in Ethiopia for a three-day official visit.
We will follow Rwanda’s initiation to allow Africans to travel without a visa to Ethiopia, said Abiy during the banquet.
This is Africa website pointed out: while Prime Minister Abiy did not give specific details of the plan to allow all Africans to travel to Ethiopia without a visa, the proposal is laudable step to open Africa’s borders. The policy will open up east African visitors, and it will undoubtedly ease their free movement of African nations and boost tourism.
In 2016, the African Union launched a continent-wide passport to make visa-free travel a reality and to facilitate the growth of tourism and trade between African countries.
Currently, Africans need visas to travel to 55 percent of other African countries on an average, according to African Development Bank (AfDB).
Prime Minister Abiy: The President invited all Africans to travel to Rwanda without visas, we will follow you very soon.
— Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) May 25, 2018
History teaches us that unity is strength, and cautions us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals, to strive, with all our combined strength, for the path to true African brotherhood and unity.
Haile Selassie pic.twitter.com/sArrjNu1jL— Benjamin G. Sishuh (@bengsishuh1) May 26, 2018
It’s about time, claiming to be land of origins #Ethiopia should welcome everyone ‘Home’ or at least #Africa/ns to their capital free of hustle https://t.co/3zKlDq34iL
— Fitsum Z. Mulugeta (@fitsumzewdu) May 26, 2018
That will be great, that would bring a lot fortune to Ethiopian and strong relationship
More grease to elbow Ethiopia, good initiative— Olatunde A. D (@OlatundeAD1) May 26, 2018