EAC welcomes Kenya and Tanzania waiving visas for DRC citizens.
The East African Community (EAC) has applauded recent decisions by Kenya and Tanzania to lift visa restrictions for citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The moves, effective late August, align with EAC goals of freer regional movement.
On September 8th, the EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki praised the visa waivers as embracing core Common Market Protocol freedoms. The agreement guarantees free movement of people and workers within the trade bloc.
Mathuki stated: “Allowing DRC citizens to travel freely to Kenya and Tanzania fosters our integration aims.” The DRC reciprocated by also lifting visa rules for Kenyans on September 1st.
Previously, Congolese citizens faced more burdensome requirements to enter EAC partner states. The visa waivers dismantle a major mobility barrier hampering trade, investment and tourism.
Experts predict the new visa-free provisions will boost economic and cultural exchange. Kenyan and Tanzanian businesses can now more easily explore opportunities in DRC’s fast-growing 80 million consumer market.
Likewise, the moves open doors for DRC investors and tourists to engage with EAC’s thriving economies. Enhanced connectivity will also enable the African Great Lakes region to jointly develop abundant natural resources. However, analysts caution work remains to fully implement visa-free policies at borders. Additional progress is still required on eliminating work permit requirements within the EAC bloc.
The waivers come amid DRC’s ongoing formal bid to join the EAC. Mathuki noted: “Closer DRC integration through steps like visa waivers will strengthen the EAC as a dynamic economic community.”
With the entire African continent implementing a free trade agreement, experts describe seamless cross-border mobility as the next frontier. The EAC’s foundation of common market freedoms provides a model for mobility-driven growth.
