CHILD TRAFFICKING IN EASTERN MARITIME GUINEA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000197

DEPT FOR G/TIP AND DRL
DOL FOR DIANTHA GARMS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12598: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC GV
SUBJECT: CHILD TRAFFICKING IN EASTERN MARITIME GUINEA

REF: CONAKRY 0090


1. (U) SUMMARY. The Prefect in Forecariah continues her efforts to
combat child trafficking on the border with Sierra Leone, although
her methods have drawn some criticism. Despite the increase in
trafficking cases, not all officials in the region agree that child
trafficking is a problem and some question whether the programs in
Forecariah are appropriate for targeting "professional" traffickers.
This cable is the second in a series of reports on child trafficking
in Guinea. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) During a trip to Forecariah on May 7, Asst Poloff met with
various local authorities and an orphanage to discuss the prevalence
of child trafficking in the region. ASST POLOFF also had the
opportunity to interview alleged victims of child trafficking and
speak with a woman apprehended for reportedly attempting to sell her
daughter.

--------------
PREFECT'S VIGILANCE NEW TO BORDER TOWNS
--------------


3. (U) Asst Poloff met with the Prefect of Forecariah Marie
Guilavogui, to discuss the prevalence of child trafficking on
Guinean's eastern maritime border with Sierra Leone. Having been
trained by Save the Children and UNICEF, Guilavogui said she started
various forward-thinking programs in the prefecture to combat child
trafficking, such as creating "vigilant communities" on the border
and training border officials to identify traffickers. She said the
vigilant communities demand documentation for children crossing the
border or pretend to be interested in purchasing a child to catch
potential traffickers. The Prefect said that these vigilant
communities are necessary because the under-staffed border security
personnel cannot monitor the 104 kilometers of border with Sierra
Leone. She also said she works closely with her counterpart in
Sierra Leone to coordinate and share information.


4. (U) During a visit to a local orphanage that the Prefect
established for victims of child trafficking, Asst Poloff saw forty
children, eleven of which were allegedly victims of child
trafficking. Asst Poloff met a five year old girl who had been
reportedly kidnapped, drugged and taken across the border before her
Sierra Leonean traffickers were apprehended. The orphanage director
said the alleged traffickers have been transferred to Conakry for
trial and the girl remains in the custody of the orphanage as the
authorities try to locate her family. The director also said that
some of orphanage staff are independently investigating where in
Sierra Leone the children are being trafficked and for what
reasons.

--------------
JUDICIAL CONCERNS
--------------


5. (SBU) The Prefect confided that her biggest obstacle in combating
child trafficking is getting trials for those apprehended. She said
that in the 2007, authorities have arrested ten people for child
trafficking in her prefecture, but that six of these people are
still awaiting trial in prison. The Prefect said that alleged
traffickers must be transferred to the Superior Court in Conakry for
trial, which only holds trials twice a year, but often less
frequently than that because of funding limitation or low caseloads.
The Prefect said that transferring prisoners to Conakry is very
costly and increases the risk of prisoners escaping.


6. (U) Asst Poloff also met with the senior Judge in Forecariah,
Mohamed Saed Job, who clarified that because child trafficking is
considered a serious crime (minimum of 5 years in prison),those
convicted must be tried by is Cour D'Assises (Superior Court) in
Conakry. Mr. Job said that someone charged with child trafficking
could wait six months or longer before being transported and tried
in Conakry. He said that the Justice Branch and police unit in
Forecariah hold initial investigations to ensure that there is
adequate evidence against the alleged trafficker. Asst Poloff asked
whether they have released an alleged trafficker because of
insufficient evidence. The judge answered by saying that trafficking
cases are new in Forecariah, and he has seen only three cases, and
all were sent to Conakry for trial.

--------------
WOMAN ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO SELL DAUGHTER
--------------


7. (SBU) The day before Asst Poloff arrived in Forecariah, a woman
and her male accomplice were apprehended on the border for allegedly
trying to sell her daughter. The Prefect invited Asst Poloff to
interview the woman, who was from Conakry, her 15 year old daughter,
and a male accomplice. According to the woman, she was taking her

CONAKRY 00000197 002 OF 002


daughter to a village town near the border to get medicine to treat
her daughter's "theft problem." She said she was going to see a
witch doctor that could help her daughter stop stealing. According
to the Prefect, one of the community members, who had been trained
through prefectoral programs to increase vigilance, asked the mother
how much she wanted to sell her daughter for and when the mother
began negotiating a price, the local community arrested her. The
mother said she was only joking and did not really intend to sell
her daughter. The Prefect said that the 15 year old girl first said
her mother was trying to sell her, but later changed her tune when
she realized that her mother could be thrown in prison. When Asst
Poloff interviewed the girl alone, the girl said her mother was not
trying to sell her and while her mother had joked about selling
previously, the girl did not think her mother would do it.


8. (SBU) While Asst Poloff was in Forecariah, Radio Libertaire, a
private radio station, was also conducting interviews regarding the
mother who allegedly tried to sell her daughter on the border. The
radio station interviewed the Prefect and the director of the
orphanage as they gathered information about the incident. The
Prefect mentioned to Asst Poloff that her orphanage has received a
great deal of press over recent child trafficking incidents in
Forecariah.

-------------- -
POLICE COMMISSIONER: TRAFFICKING NOT A PROBLEM
-------------- -


9. (SBU) Asst Poloff also met privately with the police commissioner
Ibrahima Sory Sylla. Mr. Sylla said that he has been police
commissioner in Forecariah for about six months. He said that in his
time as police commissioner he had only seen one legitimate case of
child trafficking. Mr. Sylla said that "Child trafficking is not a
problem here. Trafficking is a perception, not a threat or a
reality." He said that most of the children of the orphanage are
from poor or broken families and are not victims of trafficking. Mr.
Sylla also commented on the woman who was apprehended for allegedly
trafficking ten children to Sierra Leone last year (REFTEL). He said
that the woman recently came to the police station to pick up her
identification card and told him that all ten children are now in
English schools in Sierra Leone.


10. (SBU) Mr. Sylla also commented on the new case of the woman who
allegedly tried to sell her daughter. He said that technically
speaking, it is not a case of trafficking because her intent was to
get the girl medicine from a doctor, not to sell her. Mr. Sylla
told Asst Poloff that after the police investigation, the
authorities would most likely release her. The police commissioner
said there is an important distinction between real traffickers and
people who are willing to exchange their child for a large sum of
money. He said that "professional traffickers use drugs and force to
traffic children."

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


11. (SBU) This cable represents a continuation of Embassy efforts to
understand child trafficking issues in Guinea. Embassy reporting
over the last year on this region suggests that Guinea's eastern
maritime border is a major transit point for trafficking children
from Guinea to Sierra Leone. However, there has been no indication
that children are being trafficked in the opposite direction, i.e.
from Sierra Leone into Guinea. Although the Prefect has implemented
a targeted program to address child trafficking issues,
institutional resistance suggests that her message is not
penetrating the ranks. She seems sincere in her intentions, but some
of the Prefect's tactics could back-fire. Encouraging increased
vigilance among average citizens could create an environment that
condones vigilante justice. END COMMENT
CARTER