Evidence-Based Review of the African Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Goods, and Services: Accelerating Trade Mobility and Regional Economic Integration under the AfCFTA

Abstract

The African Union (AU) Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence, and Right of Establishment stands as a vital institutional pillar for the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). While the broader AfCFTA agreement has achieved historic political consensus and extensive state participation, the Free Movement Protocol faces a severe implementation deficit. Adopted officially by the AU Assembly on January 29, 2018, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the protocol was intended to operate in tandem with the launch of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the tariff-reduction frameworks of the AfCFTA.