A study commissioned by several agencies, including regional bloc Igad, has proposed digitalisation of movement processes to ease cross-border trade in the East African Community (EAC) and the Horn of Africa.
The study was launched on Tuesday in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
Intergovernmental Organization for Movement (IOM), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) and the East African Community (EAC) partnered for the study that will cover 12 countries, including Djibouti, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Among proposals made to ensure smooth movement of people in the region is digitalisation of immigration processes to remove bureaucracy and reduce the time spent on documents’ verification.
Other measures proposed to improve trade are installing one-stop border posts, reducing the cost of roaming and communications, and formulating policies that enable the ease of movement of people, goods and services.
The leading contributors to cross-border movements are search for healthcare and climate change that has prompted migration in search of food and water.
Kenyan President William Ruto said on Tuesday that cross-border movement will spur economic growth and catalyse development in the region.
“African countries must work towards eliminating any barriers to movement, convert regional boundaries to stepping stones and build bridges of friendship so that services, ideas, people and goods can move freely within the continent,” said Ruto.
He added: “That is how we can integrate further and exploit our socio-economic diversity for our prosperity.”
The East African Community and the Horn of Africa region is home to about 420 million people as per UN estimates.
Formal migration across the borders, however, remains relatively low compared to movement caused by internal conflicts that has worsened the refugee crisis on the continent.
“By the end of 2021, the East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region hosted 4.9 million refugees and asylum seekers, as well as 12 million internally displaced people,” the UN said in a report.
