Ras Mubarak leads Trans-Africa campaign home, calls for visa-free continent by 2030

Pan-African advocate and former Ghanaian legislator, Ras Mubarak, has described the Trans Africa Tourism and Unity Campaign as a timely and necessary intervention to advance continental integration, as the team returned to Accra after completing an extensive road journey across 31 African countries.

The campaign team arrived at the Black Star Square on Tuesday January 20, 2026, marking the end of a more than 40,000-kilometre journey aimed at advocating for a visa-free Africa by 2030.

Speaking at the welcome ceremony on January 22, 2026, Ras Mubarak expressed appreciation to the Government of Ghana for its backing, describing the support as vital to the success of the initiative.

He singled out the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for facilitating diplomatic access and engagements across the continent.

“We began this journey with the support of the Government of Ghana, and it is only right that we return here to say thank you,” he said.

Ras Mubarak explained that the campaign commenced on August 18 last year with the singular goal of engaging African leaders and policymakers to advocate for the free movement of Africans.

He noted that the team deliberately set an ambitious target of 2030, citing Africa’s youthful population and the urgent need for job creation and economic inclusion.

According to him, the road journey exposed the team to Africa’s vast cultural diversity, challenging terrains and varying infrastructure conditions, describing the experience as difficult but necessary.

“From poor roads and storms to well-developed highways, we experienced the full spectrum of Africa. It was not easy, but it was essential,” he said.

The campaign held meetings with several high-profile leaders, including Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, the King of Eswatini, parliamentary leaders and senior government officials in countries such as Guinea and Zambia.

Ras Mubarak said many of the discussions focused on tourism as a driver of economic diversification, job creation and revenue generation.

He argued that removing visa restrictions would significantly boost intra-African tourism, citing Morocco’s tourism sector as an example of the potential benefits of freer movement.

Welcoming the team on behalf of the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Shamima Muslim described the campaign as strategically timed, particularly as Ghana prepares to play a more prominent leadership role on the continent.

“On behalf of the Chief of Staff and the President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama, I say welcome home,” she said.

Muslim noted that President Mahama is expected to assume the chairmanship of the African Union, adding that insights from the campaign would help shape Ghana’s continental engagement and policy direction.

She also called on the media to amplify the campaign’s message, stressing that restrictions on the movement of people and goods undermine Africa’s integration agenda.

“We cannot build a united Africa if movement within the continent remains restricted. It is troubling that travelling within Africa is often more expensive than travelling outside it,” she said.

The Trans Africa Tourism and Unity Campaign aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and seeks to influence policy and public opinion in favour of open borders.

AM

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