AU To Adopt ECOWAS Model Of Free Movement

The Global African Civil Society Organisations (GACSO) last Friday urged the African Union to adopt the "ECOWAS model of free movement of people and goods" within the continent, to reduce the negative impact of existing artificial boundaries in Africa.

"Africa needs to establish structures that would encourage direct investment in Africa and cross-border investments to promote cross-border economic transactions and co-operation," GACSO stated in a statement to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the 44th African Union (AU) Day commemoration in Accra.

The AU replaces the erstwhile Organisation of African Unity (OAU), instituted in 1963 and the Day commemorates the legitimate aspirations of the peoples of Africa and affords member states the opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to the objectives and ideals of the AU.

The GACSO, a non-political pressure movement used the occasion of the anniversary to also enjoin African governments to issue citizenship to any person of African descent who expresses interest in acquiring such citizenship with minimal restriction.

GACSO also called on civil society to re-energise the Global African Movement for Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Reparations for all forms of slavery by past and present actors from the West and Arab land, and for colonialism.