Visa-free travel for Angola, Zambia citizens begins

Angolan and Zambian citizens no more need visas to visit between your two countries following the visa waiver found influence on Thursday.

“We’ve abolished visa requirements for diplomatic, ordinary and official passport holders in both countries,” Angola’s ambassador to Zambia, Balbina da Silva, told journalists in Lusaka.

Citizens of both neighbouring countries can travel with out a visa restrictions for an interval of 1 month, said the envoy.

However, to reside in, work, study or seek health care in virtually any of the national countries, the citizens shall have to obtain a permit.

The agreement was signed in January when Angolan President Joao Lourenco held bilateral talks along with his counterpart Edgar Lungu in Zambia.

The two countries also decided to create a common railway line and a refinery close to the border to process crude oil imports from Angola.

Zambia recently smoothed its relations with her western neighbour once they were rattled beneath the Fredrick Chiluba regime over his controversial support for Jonas Savimbi.

Dr Savimbi was the founding leader of the National Union for the full total Independence of Angola (Unita), which fought a 27-year civil war with the Angolan government. Unita may be the main opposition party in Angola now.

The controversial but charismatic leader was killed in battle contrary to the ruling MPLA government forces, 2002 in Lucusse region.

His death paved just how for a peace deal that could bring a finish to 1 of Africa’s longest and bloodiest civil conflicts, which erupted after independence from Portugal in 1975.

The war left at the very least half of a million people dead plus some four million civilians displaced in the oil-rich nation.