TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS UPDATE FOR TANZANIA

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 001183 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS G/TIP FOR RYOUSEY,ALEMAR; AF/E FOR RMEYERS, INL/HSTC; PASS TO HHS FOR MAGGIE WYNN; PAS TO DOL FOR STEVEN GENSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL HSTC SOCI EAID PREF PGOV KWMN SMIG KCRM TZ SUBJECT: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS UPDATE FOR TANZANIA SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) The Government of Tanzania (GOT),International Organization for Migration (IOM) and NGOs are addressing trafficking in persons (TIP) on a number of fronts. The Ministry of Health is working with IOM to increase awareness of TIP and IOM is finalizing the report of its 2006 research assessment. IOM has partnered with an NGO to provide assistance to male victims of trafficking and has met with potential partners to provide assistance on Zanzibar. Training of health care workers is ongoing and training is planned for new prosecutors and members of Parliament. Mainland and Zanzibar officials are consulting regarding draft legislation on TIP, a process which has delayed the bill's introduction to Parliament but should ensure quick approval once introduced and comprehensive coverage when enacted. END SUMMARY. MINISTRY OF HEALTH -------------- ¶2. (U) The Ministry of Health's National Aids Control Program (NACP) has agreed to sub-award unallocated funds from the Human Trafficking program funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). NACP has agreed to sub-award these funds to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to conduct awareness-raising activities. IOM is developing a proposal and budget to discuss with NACP on or about August 21. ¶3. (U) As part of the Human Trafficking DHHS program, the NACP has proposed conducting a situational analysis of TIP in eight regions (Iringa, Morogoro, Dodoma, Manyara, Arusha, Singida, Tanga and Dar es Salaam). The proposal includes data collection, workshops, travel, data analysis and report writing at a budget of USD 134,170. If the situational analysis is conducted with the budget proposed, approximately USD 300,000 of the DHHS funds remain unallocated. If the situational analysis is not conducted, the unallocated funds are approximately USD 435,000. ¶4. (U) BACKGROUND: The NACP's proposal of August 31, 2004, requested USD 500,000 for (a) increasing public awareness of TIP, (b) providing training for health care workers, (c) conducting an assessment of the effectiveness of law enforcement response to TIP, and (d) assessing the capacity of local government and civil society to care for victims. HHS funded the proposal in full. ¶5. (U) NACP conducted a brainstorming workshop with partners in 2005 (cost: USD 1,589),created a training manual for health care workers in 2005-2006 (USD 3,690) and conducted a train-the-trainers training in May 2007 (USD 20,219). The remaining funds must be obligated by September 30, 2007, and expended by December 31, 2007. END BACKGROUND. ¶6. (U) COMMENT: The proposed situational analysis is similar to the six-region research assessment conducted by IOM in 2006 with USD 61,358 from the Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM). Accordingly, the NACP's proposed budget of twice the amount of the previous study merits review. END COMMENT. HEALTH CARE WORKERS TRAINING -------------- ¶7. (U) NACP conducted a half-day session on TIP as part of a training for National Care and Treatment trainers and Regional and District AIDS Control Coordinators June 12-14 in Dar es Salaam. The 41 participants from 21 regions are conducting this same training for health care workers in their regions and NACP expects the regional training to be completed by December 31, 2007. VICTIM ASSISTANCE -------------- ¶8. (U) IOM has partnered with Child in the Sun (CIS),an NGO which provides shelter and assistance to street children and which will provide assistance to male TIP victims. CIS operates three shelters where boys can remain for up to three years while they attend school and vocational training. CIS organizes children into groups of six during rehabilitation of a few months during which time IOM sponsors the TIP victims. Children then live as families at the larger, longer-term facility in Dar es Salaam, where CIS supports them. ¶9. (U) Tal Raviv, Program Development Officer at IOM, conducted a half-day training at CIS on July 26, involving implementing partner KIWOHEDE to discuss identifying and interviewing TIP victims and special vulnerabilities of trafficked children. CIS and KIWOHEDE are cross-referring victims for assistance as KIWOHEDE assists girls and CIS assists boys. ¶10. (U) From April 1 through June 30, 2007, IOM's implementing partner KIWOHEDE received 23 female TIP victims, referred by police (17),street leaders (2),NGOs (2),social welfare worker (1),and television station (1). ¶11. (U) In July, Par Liljert, Country Director of IOM, and Tal Raviv, Program Development Officer at IOM, met with representatives of NGOs on Zanzibar which may be able to provide assistance to TIP victims. Liljert and Raviv were encouraged by their meetings and hope an implementing partnership will be in place by early 2008. RESEARCH ASSESSMENT -------------- ¶12. (SBU) On July 26, Par Liljert, Country Director of IOM, provided a draft of the long-anticipated IOM report of the research assessment and baseline information funded by PRM in ¶2006. Liljert recognized the delay in providing even a draft report and emphasized internal IOM problems caused the delay and not substantive issues regarding the data collection or analysis. Liljert said IOM headquarters was pushing for completion of the national report and merging it into a regional report. Given the delay in the report's completion (data was collected January through March 2006),Poloff urged IOM to produce the report upon its completion rather than further delaying its release by merging it into a regional report. PROSECUTOR TRAINING -------------- ¶13. (U) The hiring of 165 public prosecutors has been delayed due to the GOT budget cycle, thereby delaying the training of these new hires. Eliezer Feleshi, Director of Public Prosecutions, told Poloff August 16 the hiring process has been turned over to the Ministry of Justice's Director for Administration, a post in transition with the new Director expected August 24. Feleshi emphasized the Ministry of Justice is very interested in the TIP training program and said enthusiastically: "We want it!" Poloff emphasized the need to stay in communication regarding this opportunity as advance planning is essential. ¶14. (U) BACKGROUND: On May 21, 2007, Eliezer Feleshi, Director of Public Prosecutions, asked Poloff for USG assistance in training 165 public prosecutors to be hired in August 2007. Poloff replied the USG could provide such training through the President's Initiative to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, but emphasized at least 30 days' notice would be required. The DPP requested one-week training sessions regarding TIP as part of a six-week introductory training course planned to take place in Morogoro, approximately one hour from Dar es Salaam. END BACKGROUND. LEGISLATION -------------- ¶15. (U) The GOT is awaiting input from Zajz!c:Qkg&h#Ae!(C?cg8Eb'QAregarding the draft TIP legislation, Angela Nyoni, Director of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Public Safety and Security told PolAsst July 31. The TIP legislation may be introduced at the next session of Parliament (October-November 2007) and, if so, could be voted on in the following session (January 2008). ¶16. (SBU) COMMENT: The decision of the Union government to solicit the views of Zanzibar authorities regarding anti-TIP legislation has slowed its introduction into the Union Parliament, but is likely to ensure its quick approval once it is introduced and to make anti-TIP efforts more effective through consistent application of the law both on the Mainland and in Zanzibar. However, until the legislation is passed, the anti-TIP unit of the Ministry of Public Safety and Security remains handicapped in prosecuting TIP cases. Post continues to remind high-level GOT and Zanzibar officials of the necessity of introducing anti-TIP legislation, put on a fast track by President Kikwete in January 2007, as soon as possible. END COMMENT. MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT TRAINING -------------- ¶17. (U) Post has asked the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) to confirm it has USD 12,000 provided by the American Bar Association in late 2006 to train members of Parliament on draft legislation regarding TIP. ¶18. (SBU) BACKGROUND: In July, Geoffrey Sekira, Director of Continuous Legal Education at the TLS told PolAsst that because the ABA funds were insufficient to pay the sitting allowance for members of Parliament (approximately USD 80), TLS decided to use the funds to "pursue cases of TIP or acts similar to TIP cases in prisons." Sekira did not provide details regarding these cases or confirm they had been concluded, and has not provided a financial report as post requested. Yvonne Darkwa-Poku of ABA confirmed TLS did not/not have an option regarding use of these funds and that any use other than training members of Parliament was not authorized by ABA. Darkwa-Poku said she received a letter of apology from TLS which agreed to use the funds to train members of Parliament when the draft legislation is introduced. END BACKGROUND. RETZER