MOZAMBIQUE: Update on Actions to Counter Trafficking in

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 000242

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

AF/S FOR HTREGER
AF/RSA FOR MHARPOLE
USAID FOR AFR/SA
G/TIP FOR RYOUSEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG ELAB KFRD MZ
SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE: Update on Actions to Counter Trafficking in
Persons


MAPUTO 00000242 001.2 OF 002



1. SUMMARY. The first few weeks of February were characterized by a
flurry of government, NGO, and Embassy activity concerning
trafficking in persons (TIP) in Mozambique. On February 6 the
Norwegian Embassy hosted a TIP stakeholder forum for members of
civil society, NGOs, media, donor representatives, and the
diplomatic community. On February 7 poloff visited trafficking
shelters in Malelane, South Africa and Moamba, Mozambique, as well
as the Ressano Garcia border crossing to better understand the
problem and help direct USG assistance. On February 8 the Mozambican
government, in conjunction with local NGOs, hosted a public forum to
present and debate a draft TIP law. The events of early February
demonstrate a willingness by the government and civil society to
move forward in the fight against trafficking in persons. End
Summary.

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STAKEHOLDER FORUM TURNS ONE YEAR OLD
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2. The TIP stakeholders forum began in March 2006 as a
Post-organized effort to bring together principal players in
Mozambique's anti-trafficking effort. After the initial meeting, the
Norwegian Embassy has hosted several subsequent gatherings. While no
members of the Mozambican government were present at the most recent
meeting on February 6, the event was nevertheless well-attended by
key NGOs and the diplomatic community. The main objective of the
forum continues to be the sharing of ideas, initiatives, and
concerns.

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VISITING THE PLAYERS
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3. On February 7 poloff and visiting G/TIP official Rachel Yousey
called on several players in the fight against trafficking --
including people at two shelters, an NGO, and officials working on
the Mozambican/South African border -- to obtain an overview of the
current situation and ascertain areas where the USG may best provide
assistance. The first visit was to Amazing Grace Children's Center
for trafficking victims in Malelane, South Africa, near the border
with Mozambique. Amazing Grace has been functioning in Malelane
since the 1990s and is well-known and respected by police
authorities, social workers, and the NGO community in the region,
who regularly bring suspected trafficking victims to the center for
care, training, and eventual reintegration. The center currently has
40 children (all under age 18),of whom approximately half are
Mozambican citizens. Despite the high percentage of Mozambicans,
Amazing Grace representatives were unaware of the existence of the
Moamba shelter, only 70 miles away in Mozambique.


4. Poloff and G/TIP's Yousey next visited the border community of
Ressano Garcia, on the Mozambican side of the South Africa border,
to meet with senior immigration and border guard officers. The
officers lamented their lack of resources and training, but insisted
they had good relations with their South African counterparts and
had made several arrests of suspected traffickers in the previous
year (Note: In the discussion it was apparent that there continues
to be some official misunderstanding between trafficking and
smuggling of persons. End note.). Once again, neither of the two
officials was aware that the Moamba shelter (approximately 30 miles
from the border) had been functioning since June 2006.


5. While at Ressano Garcia, a visit was also made to a group of
Scalabrini nuns, who operate a welcome center for repatriated
Mozambicans, as well as a school, orphanage, bakery, and skills
center for hundreds of vulnerable children. The nuns have been
working at the border for 12 years and are well known by the
Mozambican border authorities in Ressano Garcia. The nuns work with
vulnerable children. They have two activists on the border screening
for trafficking victims and have, in the past, sent several
trafficking victims to the Moamba shelter. While they have not had
contact with the shelter in several months, they expressed a desire
to renew their cooperation. Post will facilitate this renewed
linkage.

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PROBLEMS AT MOAMBA
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6. The final visit was to the Moamba shelter, which is partially
funded by the USG and the German NGO, Terre des Hommes. The shelter
received small grants (a Democracy and Human Rights Fund grant and a
Economic Support Fund grant) in 2005-06 for victims' assistance,
psychological counseling, educational workshops, and reintegration.
Operational since June 2006, the shelter has experienced significant
growing pains. For example, while the shelter has space for up to 80

MAPUTO 00000242 002.2 OF 002


children, there are currently 15 children at the shelter, of whom
only one could be identified as a victim of trafficking; the
remainder are victims of abuse or are vulnerable orphans and
runaways.


7. Another challenge involves staffing issues. The shelter employs a
project coordinator and psychologist (both of whom are based in
Maputo, 30 miles distant),as well as a guard, a cook, and a social
worker (all of whom work on the premises). The project coordinator
resigned in November and has yet to be replaced. A psychologist
based in Maputo visits the shelter only twice a month. (Comment:
Post and the Terre des Hommes representative agree that the shelter
would be more functional if all staff lived on-site. End Comment.)


8. The Moamba shelter also suffers from a lack of resources and
supplies. There is one completed building that houses a small
office/kitchen and a large sleeping area. While there are plans to
build a cafeteria, a second area for housing (to separate the
children by gender),a bathroom, and a storage facility for food,
the center has not been able to secure funding for this additional
construction. Another crucial problem continues to be the lack of a
reliable source of water. Currently water is brought in jugs from
Ressano Garcia and Maputo, but this process is expensive and
unreliable due to lack of transportation. An additional concern is
the lack of activities for the children. The shelter sits on five
hectares of land in an isolated setting. With few resources to
purchase games, toys, books, and other educational materials, the
children are often left with little to do.

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POSITIVE MOVEMENT ON TIP LAW
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9. There has been positive movement since November 2006, when the
Charge and emboffs met with the Justice Minister to express concern
regarding delays in the drafting of anti-TIP legislation. A third
draft has been finished, consisting of 33 articles, which has been
well-received by the NGO community. The process of becoming a law is
potentially long and complicated, however - the draft must be
presented to the Council of Ministers (scheduled for February 21),
and upon approval will be submitted to the National Assembly for
debate.


10. In preparation for submission to the Council of Ministers, the
NGO Rede Came has worked with the Justice Ministry to organize a
series of public forums throughout the country to introduce the
draft law to the public and solicit feedback. The first forum was
held in Maputo on February 8. Despite limited publicity,
approximately 100 people were in attendance, mostly from the NGO
community and civil society. Aside from several mid-level officials
from the Justice Ministry who presented the law, there were few
government representatives and even fewer "common citizens." (Note:
However, the forum took place on the same day as the highly
publicized visit of Chinese Premier Hu Jintao. End note). A debate
followed the presentation of the law, but was limited to technical
legal considerations more than a discussion of public perceptions of
the law. Most daily newspapers and two television stations provided
coverage of the forum and the importance of the law. Subsequent
forums were held in the central province of Zambezia on February 12
and the northern province of Nampula on February 14.

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COMMENT
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11. The visit by a US-based G/TIP officer not only provided a good
opportunity to call on important government and civil society
players involved in trafficking issues, but also to evaluate the
difficult situation of the Moamba shelter. We will be meeting with
the project implementer to encourage better communication between
the shelter, Mozambican border authorities, and NGOs working on the
border. The rather swift movement of the draft trafficking law in
recent months is a positive development, but it is still a
significant challenge to make the public aware of the trafficking
issue.

JOHNSON