Representatives from Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the African Union Border Programme (AUBP) met in Zambia to discuss Border Management in Africa.

This was the second meeting of the group and was hosted at the COMESA Secretariat and supported by the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GIZ). The objectives of the AUBP are to complete the delimitation and demarcation of African borders, to encourage and facilitate cross-border cooperation through joint planning and development of shared cross-border areas.

Further the initiative is aimed at building the border management capacity of Member States in support of pragmatic border management and regional integration activities.

In addition, the declaration noted the need for the AUBP to build partnerships and mobilize the resources required to support the above activities.

The AUBP was adopted in June 2007 through the Declaration by the 1st Conference of African Ministers in charge of border issues and the adoption of the Declaration by the 11th Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council.

The overall objective of the meeting was for the RECs and AUC to coordinate, develop and advance their policies, initiatives and road-maps on border management and cross-border cooperation according the principles of subsidiarity, complementarity and comparative advantage.

“COMESA has taken the lead in developing a number of policies to enhance cross border cooperation and border management,” Assistant Secretary General in charge of programmes Dr Kipyego Cheluget said during the official opening of the meeting.

These include protocols on free movement and coherent legal migration policy in the COMESA region including the protocol on the gradual relaxation of Visas. So far three countries namely Mauritius, Rwanda and Seychelles have issued circulars relinquishing visa and visa fees for all COMESA nationals on official business.

He cited other COMESA cross border instruments including the Simplified Trade Regime (STR), the COMESA third party insurance scheme (the Yellow card) the Regional Customs Bond Guarantee Scheme (RCTG) and the Virtual Trade Facilitation System (CVTFS).

COMESA was the first REC to establish trade information desks at border posts in 2009, targeting small scale traders. It has also created Cross Border Traders Associations (CBTAs) and set up cross border infrastructure especially in post conflict areas to improve the living conditions of the local communities for peaceful coexistence.

Ambassador Aguibou Diarah addressed the meeting on behalf of the African Union while Mr. Phillip Kusch represented the GIZ.

» African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation (Niamey Convention)