Somalia, IGAD discuss roadmap for regional mobility and single visa plan

Wednesday July 8, 2026

Mogadishu (HOL) — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development has launched high-level consultations with Somali stakeholders to advance the ratification, domestication and implementation of the IGAD Protocol on Free Movement of Persons.

The three-day meetings bring together key stakeholders to define roles, develop a national roadmap and discuss regional initiatives, including the IGAD Interoperable ID and the IGAD Single Visa.

Participants are expected to discuss practical steps to accelerate implementation of the protocol and establish a harmonized framework to facilitate the movement of people and goods across IGAD member states.

Officials said the framework is intended to support regional mobility while safeguarding national security and respecting domestic laws.

Dr. Mohamoud Kaarshe, IGAD’s head of mission to Somalia, said people across the region already move for work, study, business, family reunification and humanitarian reasons.

He said member states must ensure such movement is governed by secure, predictable and coordinated legal frameworks.

Abdulkadir Mahmoud Yusuf, director of the Africa Department at Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the consultations reinforce Somalia’s role in regional trade and connectivity.

“We are pleased to host a conference of this nature in Somalia,” Yusuf said. “It is an important forum focused on the movement of people, and it reinforces Somalia’s position as a strategic hub for trade and regional connectivity.”

The IGAD Protocol on Free Movement of Persons grants citizens of member states the right to enter, stay, move freely, study and work across the Horn of Africa region.

The protocol is designed to promote regional integration and help mitigate the effects of climate-related disasters. It also introduces frameworks for interoperable IDs and single visas.

Somalia signed the IGAD Protocol on Free Movement of Persons on March 5, 2023, marking a step toward strengthening regional integration, economic cooperation and labor mobility.