Rwanda abolishes Visa requirements for all Africans

President Paul Kagame made the announcement on Thursday in the capital, Kigali, where he pitched the potential of Africa as a unified tourism destination for a continent that still relies on 60% of its tourists from outside Africa, according to data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

“Any African, can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish and they will not pay a thing to enter our country,” said Kagame during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council, held in Kigali.

. "We have removed visa restrictions for citizens of every African country, as well as many other countries. Any African can enter to Rwanda anytime they wish without paying a dime.”

“We should not lose sight of our own continental market,” he said. “Africans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come.”

Once implemented, Rwanda will become the fourth African country to remove travel restrictions for Africans. Other countries that have waived visas to African nationals are Gambia, Benin and Seychelles.

 “We should not lose sight of our own continental market," he said. "Africans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come," He added.

Once implemented, Rwanda will become the fourth African country to remove travel restrictions for Africans. This decision was made after Kenya’s Mr President William Ruto announced that on Monday, will plan to remove restrictions on Africans to travel to the East African Nation without a visa by December 31.  

The other countries that remove restrictions on travel are Ghana and South Africa.

Other countries that have waived visas to African nationals are Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles.

Kenya’s President William Ruto announced Monday plans to allow all Africans to travel to the East African nation visa-free by December 31.

“Visa restrictions amongst ourselves are working against us. When people cannot travel, business people cannot travel, entrepreneurs cannot travel we all become net losers” said Ruto at an international summit in Congo Brazzaville.

The African Union in 2016 launched an African passport with much fanfare, saying it would rival the European Union model in “unleashing the potential of the continent.” However, only diplomats and AU officials have been issued the travel document so far.

The African Passport and free movement of people is aimed at removing restrictions on Africans' ability to travel, work, and live within their own continent,  The AU says on its website.

AU also launched the African Continental Free Trade Area, a continent-wide free trade area estimated to be worth $3.4 trillion, which aims to create a single unified market for the continent’s 1.3 billion people and boost economic development.