The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), has started consultations for ratification of the Protocol for Free Movement of people in the region.
IGAD member states include Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, South Sudan, Eritrea (inactive) and Somalia.
IGAD secretariat started a three day meeting on Wednesday with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ministry of Interior and civil society organizations seeking their inputs to the document. Similar meetings have also been held in Djibouti and Uganda.
The consultative workshop aims at gathering information on barriers and benefits to free movement of persons in the IGAD region; generating national recommendations towards the provisions of the protocol on free movement of persons in the IGAD region, and to drive national inputs in to the development of the road map for the negotiation and conclusion of the protocol on free movement of persons in IGAD region.
Deputy Minister of Interior, Riaw Gatlier Gai said South Sudan will look in to the document and deliberate on it so that all challenges facing IGAD member States in regard to free movement of people can be addressed.
He said there are a lot of challenges facing South Sudan regarding free movement of people since majority of South Sudanese are illiterate.
“When you come to movement of workers, those about 70 percent who are illiterate will not go anywhere to seek for jobs while those in other countries will be coming here to get what they are looking for which is a challenge to us,” he said.
Gai also said there is a challenge of movement with arms in regard to the pastoral communities.
“If free movement is allowed then many arms could enter some countries,” he said.
However, Gai said he hopes those challenges will be addressed by relevant legal frameworks suitable for every member State.