Faith Omoboye
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has formally endorsed the Trans Africa Tourism and Unity Campaign, a Pan-African movement pushing for visa-free travel across the continent. The move brings the number of supporting governments to eight, signalling growing momentum behind efforts to ease cross-border movement and strengthen integration.
Launched this year, the campaign is led by Ras Mubarak, a former Ghanaian legislator. Its aim is simple but ambitious: to remove visa barriers, expand tourism, encourage cultural exchange, and stimulate trade in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Read also: Visa-free Africa can unleash a $3.3 trillion market and jobs – Mubarak, Team Lead, Trans-African Tourism and Unity Campaign
At a ceremony in Kinshasa, Didier Mazenga Mukanzu, the tourism minister said the DRC saw tourism as a driver of unity and growth.
“By removing visa barriers and promoting intra-African travel, we can unlock new opportunities for our people and showcase Africa’s rich cultural heritage to the world,” he said.
Read also: Pan-African visa-free campaign targets $3.3trn market, deeper integration
Mubarak, who is travelling overland through 39 countries in a 163-day road trip, used the occasion to highlight Africa’s untapped potential. He pointed to the DRC’s vast mineral wealth — cobalt, copper, diamonds, and coltan among them — as resources that could transform Africa if managed responsibly.
“We must resist foreign interference and exploitation, and work together to build a brighter future. Africans deserve dignity, respect, and accountability from their leaders and from foreign powers that seek to influence their affairs,” he said.
Read also: Visa rules costing Africa its future, campaigners warn
The campaign has already won endorsements from seven other governments and has 31 more countries to visit. After the DRC, the team will head south to Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi before moving on to East Africa.
Supporters say visa-free travel could reshape Africa’s economy by making it easier for people, goods, and ideas to move across borders. While the African Continental Free Trade Area has opened new pathways for commerce, campaigners argue the next step is to make mobility equally seamless for citizens.
With the DRC’s endorsement, one of Africa’s largest and most resource-rich nations has joined the call for a borderless future. Advocates believe such backing strengthens the case for a united, more connected continent — where borders no longer stand in the way of opportunity.
Source: Businessday.ng | Read the Full Story…
