This African Country Has The Most Powerful Passport On Continent

While Asia continues to outshine other continents on the world stage for the most powerful passports, African countries seemed more relegated to the behind positions.

Japan – for the third time – is the country with the strongest, according to exclusive data from the 2020 Henley Passport Index. Closely following is Singapore, holding on to its second place.

The opposite end of the index shows African and Middle Eastern nations in omnipresence. An interesting finding in the report is the general decline in the value of African passports in the past 10 years.

The ranking is based on the passports’ total visa-free score and data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

While the decline is blamed on conflict and political instability, Seychelles emerged as the African country with the most powerful passport on the continent.

The ranking, more interestingly, remains unchanged, especially as Mauritius and South Africa retain their second and third respective positions on the index.
Last year, Seychelles was also rated as the most powerful country in Africa. It was ranked in category 23 on the world list and has a mobility score of 137. Its visa-free access is to 104 countries, Visa on arrival: 33, and Visa required: 61.

On the flip side of the conundrum, Somalia is the African country with the weakest passports. The East African nation occupies the bottom position alongside Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan. They round the last five passports in terms of access, each offering holders entry to fewer than three dozen destinations around the world.

Here is the list of strongest passports in Africa, from least to most:

Somalia
Global ranking: 104

Visa-free access to no country.

Libya
Global ranking: 102

Visa-free access to 37 countries.

 Sudan
Global ranking: 100

Visa-free access to no country.

Eritrea
Global ranking: 98

Visa-free access to no country

Congo (Dem Republic)

Global ranking: 98

Visa-free access to no country.

South Sudan
Global ranking: 96

Visa-free access to no country.

Ethiopia
Global ranking: 96

Visa-free access to 43 countries.

Nigeria
Global ranking: 95

Visa-free access to no country.

Djibouti
Global ranking: 95

Visa-free access to 46 countries.

Congo (Rep)
Global ranking: 94

Visa-free access to 47 countries.

 Liberia
Global ranking: 93

Visa-free access to no country.

 Egypt
Global ranking: 93

Visa-free access to no country

Cameroon
Global ranking: 93

Visa-free access to no country.

 Burundi
Global ranking: 93

Visa-free access to no country.

Angola
Global ranking: 93

Visa-free access to 49 countries.

Image: Seychelles News Agency

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January 11, 2020