Africa fights human trafficking

2006-07-07 13:02

Emmanuel Goujon

Abuja - Ministers from 26 African countries adopted a joint plan to fight the trafficking of people on the continent, particularly children and women, who were forced into labour and prostitution.

Members of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) and the 11 countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (Eccas) signed the deal on Thursday evening after considering expert reports on the problem, which affected millions of people in Africa.

Ecowas executive secretary Ibn Chambas said: "It is the first time so many of our states, countries of origin and of destination of the traffic in persons, gathered and agreed together on such an issue."

The countries agreed on an "action plan", committing themselves to make co-ordinated policies on trafficking and to put in a place a system for monitoring the activity, at a one-day meeting in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.

Consensus 'not easily reached'

Chambas said the action plan aimed for "improved management and control of borders, documentation for citizens, to enhance funding for all that, but also to sensitise the populations.

"There is a good and large consensus" among the countries. Although most countries present signed the agreement, some accepted it without signing.

However, the consensus was not easily reached with observers reporting disagreement among countries being used as sources and destinations for trafficked people.

One diplomat said: "The interests of children must be taken into account, and certain countries fear that, like in Europe, under this pretext they will be forced to accept, and even take responsibility for the victims of trafficking."

Chambas added that states still had to adopt laws in order to make the plan a reality and educate people in order to discourage trafficking.

Thousands of children 'victims'

Eccas secretary-general Louis Sylvain-Goma said: "Mentalities are not easy to change. To do so requires in-depth work to maximise our chances of success."

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and several United Nations agencies attended the meeting to support the efforts against trafficking in Africa.

Africa was the worst continent affected by trafficking, particularly children.

According to Ecowas, thousands of children fell victim to trafficking every year across central and west Africa, most of them because of poverty.

Nigeria was a major hub, with children smuggled in from neighbouring countries such as Benin, to serve in quarries or as domestic workers, and women smuggled out to work as prostitutes in Europe and the Gulf.

Lee Swepson, human rights spokesperson for the ILO, said child labour was decreasing world-wide, but Africa was an exception to the trend, with at least 50 million children there made to work - a quarter of the overall world figure.

- AFP