Abuja -
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched the process
for the review of its flagship free movement protocol.
This is aimed at eliminating the requirement for
residence permit which has been a source of discrimination and harassment of
community citizens.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadré Desire Ouédraogo,
disclosed the move.
“We hope the revised instrument will be signed
during the next summit of regional leaders so that our people can feel as one
people,” he said during the accreditation of Burkina Faso Ambassador to
Nigeria, Firmin Gregoire N’do, as the country’s Special Representative to
ECOWAS.
The 35-year-old Protocol on Free Movement of
Persons, the Right of Residence and Establishment entitles community citizens
to visit countries within the region for 90 days without a visa, making ECOWAS
the only Regional Economic Community in Africa with such a visa-free
regime.
Under the protocol, citizens enjoy the right of
entry, stay, residence, establishment and access to the Community Court of
Justice, but some challenges have been reported in the implementation.
The ECOWAS head meanwhile praised President
Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso for his immense contributions to the resolution
of various crises in the region, notably Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Guinea and Mali.
Ambassador N’do lauded President Ouédraogo for
the dynamism he and his team have brought to the leadership of the Commission
since his assumption of duty about two years ago.
He also pledged his readiness to work with the
Commission to realize the ECOWAS objectives.
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