A continent-wide push for free movement has reached a major milestone as the African People’s Petition for a Borderless Africa gathered more than 10,000 signatures, according to a statement released by Africans Rising.

The landmark achievement marks a massive surge in grassroots pressure on African governments, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and the African Union (AU) to speed up ratification of the AU Free Movement Protocol (FMP), adopted in 2018 but still lagging in implementation.

In its statement, the movement issued calls directed at three key audiences: African citizens, whom it urged to sign and amplify the petition; media organisations, encouraged to spotlight the campaign; and policymakers across AU member states, urged to act with “urgency and political courage” to advance the protocol.

"This is not just announcement but a clear signal to African governments, African union and the RECs that Africans are indeed ready for a borderless Africa therefore the ratifications of the free movement protocol should not wait anymore."

Despite commitments under instruments such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), progress on free movement remains "unacceptably slow" according to Africans Rising.

The movement warned that "this gap between political commitments and lived realities is costing Africa jobs, innovation, trust, and opportunity."

Africans Rising argued that free movement does not undermine security or sovereignty, but rather strengthens economic integration, peace, shared prosperity, and reparative justice across the continent.

"Free movement is not a threat to Africa’s security or sovereignty; it is a foundation for integration, shared prosperity, peace, and dignity."