TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT (TIP) - ZIMBABWE

UNCLAS HARARE 000186 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS AF/S DESK OFFICER S. HILL G/TIP FOR R. YOUSEY NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN USAID FOR L.DOBBINS AND E. LOKEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN PHUM PREF SMIG ZI ASEC SUBJECT: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT (TIP) - ZIMBABWE REF: STATE 02731 THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (U) The following is Embassy Harare's response to questions posed to Post in reftel. -------------- OVERVIEW -------------- -- 27 A. (SBU) Zimbabwe is a country of origin, transit, and destination for internationally trafficked men, women and children. Women and children are trafficked for labor and sexual exploitation along the borders with the four surrounding countries. There have been reports of Zimbabweans, especially young men and boys, providing labor for months in South Africa without pay before their employers report them to authorities for deportation. Many Zimbabweans suffering labor exploitation in surrounding countries do not report the offense to authorities out of fear of deportation. There have been reports of young women and girls being lured to the People's Republic of China, Egypt, the United Kingdom, and Canada under false pretenses for commercial sexual exploitation. Men, women and children from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia are trafficked through Zimbabwe en route to South Africa. A small number of South African girls are trafficked to Zimbabwe for forced domestic labor. Trafficking also occurs within the country's borders. Young men and women and children in rural areas are trafficked to farms for agricultural labor and domestic servitude or to cities and towns for commercial sexual exploitation and domestic servitude. (SBU) There are no reliable statistics on the trafficking problem in Zimbabwe. Most information on trafficking comes from anecdotal reporting supplied by the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations (IOs) providing assistance to victims and vulnerable populations. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF are currently conducting a study expected to be completed in April on child trafficking in Zimbabwe to gauge the scale of the problem and identify target areas for anti-trafficking programs. IOM also expects to complete a five-country (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Namibia and Botswana) regional study on trafficking in July. In October 2007, the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare in collaboration with the International Labor Organization (ILO),United Nations Development Program (UNDP),United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UNICEF and IOM launched a multi-year program on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor in Zimbabwe. This program will address child labor issues and the implementation of ILO Convention 182, including identifying the worst forms of child labor in Zimbabwe and implementing activities pertaining to the prevention of child labor, protection of working children, rehabilitation of victims and income generating measures. The three above mentioned efforts were supposed to have been completed in 2007; however, negotiations with the government over permits delayed the start dates. -- 27 B. (SBU) The trafficking problem in the country is worsening as more of the population is made vulnerable by declining socio-economic conditions. During the reporting period, there have been reports that illegal migration of Zimbabweans to surrounding countries has increased significantly -- putting more Zimbabweans at risk for exploitation. Although the government continues to show some political will and interest in combating trafficking, a severe lack of resources and a recent three-month strike by prosecutors and magistrates has constrained its ability to address the trafficking problem in practice. The government's most notable achievements during the reporting period included the following: -- In January, the government announced that a memorandum of understanding had been signed with the South African Government (SAG) for a joint project aimed at regularizing the status of illegal Zimbabwean migrant farm workers in the Limpopo Province in South Africa along the border with Zimbabwe. Once the agreement is finalized, a Labor Center will be opened at the Beitbridge Reception Center in Beitbridge, Zimbabwe on the border with South Africa. The Labor Center will match Zimbabwean farm workers with South African farms in need of labor and ensure that proper employment conditions exist. In the beginning, the pilot program will be confined to the Limpopo Province and will be extended to other sectors and areas in South Africa depending on its success. -- The government also allocated land to IOM to establish a reception center for Zimbabweans deported from Botswana to Plumtree, Zimbabwe, which is due to open in April, 2008. IOM anticipates that this second reception center in Zimbabwe will help identify additional trafficking victims. -- In July 2007, President Mugabe announced plans to ratify the UN Trafficking Protocol. (SBU) Women and young girls are the most at-risk group for trafficking. The use of child labor, especially as farm workers or domestic servants, is common in Zimbabwe, often with the complicity of family members. The Child Protection Society, a local child welfare NGO, reported that an increasing number of children were leaving school because their families could not afford rising school fees. Girls were more likely than boys to drop out because they were more readily employable as domestic workers. The South Africa Women's Institute of Migration Affairs (SAWIMA),a South Africa-based NGO, reported a rising number of Zimbabwean children who could no longer afford school fees were entering South Africa illegally where they ended up as child labor working for little or no pay. In many cases, the children traded sex with guides or truck drivers to be smuggled across the border. The Girl Child Network, a local child welfare NGO, reported that young Zimbabwean girls were recruited into brothels in Plumtree, Zimbabwe located near the border with Botswana. The Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) reported that at least 25,000 Zimbabwean teachers had left the country in recent years to seek better opportunities. Many find employment as teachers in surrounding countries; however, others were forced into jobs on farms and in factories for little or no pay. There also have been reports of employers withholding their documentation under the pretext of regularizing their status. Zimbabweans often accept this abuse rather than report the offence to authorities and risk deportation. (SBU) According to anecdotal reports, traffickers are typically independent business people who are part of small networks of local criminal groups that facilitate trafficking within Zimbabwe, as well as into South Africa or other surrounding countries. In many cases, a trafficker approaches a potential victim with the offer of a lucrative job in another part of the country or in a neighboring country. Traffickers often transport victims covertly across borders at unrecognized border crossing points or bribe an immigration officer for entry. Many young men and boys are exploited by guides when they attempt to cross the border illegally into South Africa or another neighboring country to find work. -- 27 C. (SBU) The government established in 2006 an inter-ministerial taskforce on trafficking, which includes representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Justice, Information, Parliamentarian Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare. Under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) deals with children's and sexual abuse cases, and has the lead on investigation and tracking of trafficking cases and the referral of victims to support services. The Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) Zimbabwe office has a "Human Trafficking Desk" staffed by ZRP detectives who coordinate Zimbabwe's involvement in international trafficking investigations. The Department of Immigration (in the Ministry of Home Affairs) monitors borders and ports of entry for possible traffickers and victims. The Department of Social Welfare (in the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare) also has several programs for vulnerable children. The Ministry of Information collaborates on awareness campaigns funded by NGOs and IOs. -- 27 D. (SBU) A severe lack of financial resources and hyperinflationary conditions limit the government's ability to address the trafficking problem in practice. Police lack the resources, including manpower and fuel, to properly investigate trafficking cases. A three-month strike by prosecutors and magistrates throughout the country further strained an already overwhelmed judicial system in which pre-trial detainees can wait prolonged periods before receiving a hearing in court. The Department of Social Welfare lacks the necessary funding to properly assist victims; however, it routinely refers victims to NGOs and IOs for such services. -- 27 E. (SBU) The government does not have the resources to systematically monitor its anti-trafficking efforts and periodically make available, publicly or privately and directly or through regional/international organizations, assessments of its anti-trafficking efforts. -------------- INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS -------------- -- 28 A. (SBU) Zimbabwean law does not specifically prohibit trafficking. Trafficking-related crimes are currently addressed under other legislation, primarily the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, the Immigration Act and the Labor Relations Amendment Act. These laws criminalize transporting people across the border for sex, corruption of children and allowing children to reside in or to frequent a brothel, allowing children to consort with or be employed by prostitutes, and forgery of travel documents. In addition, the Criminal Law Act prohibits abduction and the pledging of a female. The constitution and labor law provide that no one may be held in slavery or servitude or be made to perform forced or compulsory labor. Zimbabwean legal experts consider these laws sufficient to cover both internal and external forms of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Additionally, a victim can bring a civil suit against a trafficker under current law. The Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act provides for victim restitution and compensation. The government reported last year that it had drafted comprehensive trafficking legislation; however, the draft has not been made available for review nor introduced in Parliament. -- 28 B. (SBU) In terms of sexual exploitation offenses, the Criminal Law Act provides for the following: -- Procuring another person for unlawful sexual conduct, or to become a prostitute whether inside or outside Zimbabwe, or to leave his or her usual place of residence to become an inmate or frequent a brothel is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of two years (10 years if the person procured is under 16 years of age),or both. -- Coercing or inducing another person to engage in unlawful sexual conduct with another person by threat or intimidation is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of five years, or both. -- Detaining a person in a brothel or any other premises with the intention that the detained person should engage in unlawful sexual conduct is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of one year, or both. -- Allowing a person under 16 years of age to knowingly enter an establishment for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual conduct is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of seven years, or both. If the person is below the age of 12, the act is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of 10 years, or both. -- A parent allowing a child under 18 years of age to become a prostitute is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of 10 years, or both. -- Living off or facilitating prostitution is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of two years, or both. -- Solicitation of another person for prostitution is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of six months, or both. -- Sexual intercourse or performing indecent acts with a person under 16 years of age is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of 10 years, or both. -- Pledging a female person for a forced marriage or to compensate for the death of a relative, or any debt or obligation, is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of two years, or both. Any party to the marriage or arrangement may be charged as an accomplice. -- Forgery of a public document or corruptly using a false document is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of 20 years, or both. -- 28 C. (SBU) In terms of labor trafficking offenses, the Labor Relations Amendment Act provides for the following: -- Failure of an employer to protect employees' right to fair labor standards (including to pay any employee a wage lower than a prescribed minimum, to require an employee to work more than the maximum hours permitted by law, or to require any employee to work under any conditions or situation which are below prescribed standards) is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of two years, or both. -- Forced labor is punishable by a fine, two years imprisonment, or both. -- Employment of a person under 15 years of age (unless as an apprentice who is over 13 years of age) is punishable by a fine, two years imprisonment, or both. (SBU) The Labor Relations Amendment Act does not specifically include provisions for criminal punishment of labor recruiters who engage in recruitment of laborers using knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers; for employers or labor agents who confiscate workers' passports or travel documents, switch contracts without the worker's consent as a means to keep the worker in a state of service, or withhold payment of salaries as means of keeping the worker in a state of service. However, prosecutors may be able to use the fair labor standards provisions in the Labor Relations Amendment Act to pursue cases involving such activities. (SBU) Zimbabwe does not have specific laws that criminalize the acts of labor recruiters who recruit laborers using knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers or impose on recruited laborers inappropriately high or illegal fees or commissions that create a debt bondage condition for the laborer. The constitution and labor law, however, provide that no one may be held in slavery or servitude or be made to perform forced or compulsory labor. There have not been reports of convictions for labor trafficking offenses during the reporting period. -- 28 D. (SBU) Rape and aggravated indecent assault are punishable by life imprisonment. Incarceration is mandatory for convictions for rape or forcible sexual assault, but there is no minimum penalty. The media frequently reports on rape cases and convictions. Sentences usually vary from four years to fifteen years, depending on the circumstances of the crime. -- 28 E. (SBU) Prostitution and the activities of brothel owner/operator, clients, pimps and enforcers are criminalized (as defined in the Criminal Law Act.) During the year, there have been several media reports regarding concerted efforts by police to halt prostitution throughout the country. Police arrested both prostitutes and clients. -- 28 F. (SBU) The government did not prosecute any human trafficking offenders during the reporting period; however, three new cases involving four victims were identified and brought under investigation. In one case, a 29-year-old Zimbabwean woman was recruited by a trafficker with the promise of a job in South Africa. The two crossed into South Africa illegally at which time the trafficker seized her national ID card and physically abused and raped her. After arrest and deportation by South African authorities, the victim reported her case to a protection officer at the IOM Reception Center in Beitbridge, Zimbabwe who then alerted the ZRP. ZRP officers contacted South African police who arrested the trafficker. The trafficker remains in custody in South Africa on charges of violation of migration laws and the sexual offences act. A court case is pending. (SBU) In the second case, a trafficker promised two young Zimbabwean women (17- and 18-years-old) jobs in Mozambique. The trafficker traveled with the victims and convinced a border official to allow them to enter the country without proper travel documents. The trafficker then forced the victims to work in a flea market. The trafficker refused to pay them for a month and used physical and psychological abuse to keep them from leaving. After a month, the victims escaped to Zimbabwe. A journalist who had attended IOM training on trafficking interviewed the victims and referred them to IOM who contact the Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) Zimbabwe office. The Interpol NCB office referred the case to the ZRP's Victim Friendly Unit (VFU). Police arrested the trafficker and an investigation is ongoing. (SBU) In the third case, in February 2007, a 15-year-old Zimbabwean girl was sent by her maternal grandmother (who could not afford to raise her) to live with a family friend in South Africa. The girl's father was dead and her mother was in jail. The girl paid a taxi driver to smuggle her into South Africa and take her to Johannesburg. Upon arrival, the family friend introduced her to a Nigerian man who promised to arrange for her to go to the United Kingdom for school. In March 2007, the girl met the Nigerian at the airport where he gave her a fake Botswanan passport and tickets and explained she would be met by a contact upon her arrival. She was detained by South African immigration for possessing forged travel documents and turned over to South African police who placed her in a children's shelter. Sometime later, the Nigerian came to the shelter and tried to take the girl claiming to be her father. The girl told a social worker the Nigerian was not her father. The social worker alerted police and contacted IOM South Africa. The girl is still in South Africa while Zimbabwean authorities are arranging for other family members to care for her. An investigation is ongoing. (SBU) None of the investigations or cases reported in the 2007 TIP Report has come to completion. Resource constraints at the ZRP and judiciary remain a severe hindrance. Police lack human, financial and other resources to conduct proper investigations. It is not unusual for a detainee to remain in remand custody for several years before his/her case is heard in court. Additionally, the backlog of cases in the courts was made worse by a three-month strike by magistrates, prosecutors and court staff. According to the Ministry of Justice, the woman convicted in 2006 for procuring a person for the purposes of prostitution is currently serving a 48 month jail sentence. -- 28 G. (SBU) The government does not provide its own specialized training on trafficking; however, government officials attended 10 IOM training workshops that focused on trafficking and how to recognize trafficking victims during the reporting period. There were four training sessions specifically for law enforcement, including ZRP, VFU, magistrates, prosecutors and immigration. There were three sessions specifically for health and social welfare workers, including officials from Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and Department of Social Welfare. IOM also conducted three training sessions for local law enforcement and health and social welfare workers in several areas known to be problem trafficking areas. -- 28 H. (SBU) The government does cooperate with other governments in the investigation and prosecution of cases. During the reporting period, Interpol NCB Zimbabwe office cooperated on international trafficking investigations with Interpol NCB offices in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, United Kingdom and Zambia. -- 28 I. (SBU) The Zimbabwe Extradition Act permits the extradition of nationals, and the government has extradition treaties with countries in the region. There have not been reports of trafficking-related extraditions or requests of extradition from Zimbabwe to other countries during the reporting period. -- 28 J. (SBU) There was no evidence of government involvement in or tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level. -- 28 K. (SBU) Not applicable per response to question J above. -- 28 L. (SBU) There have not been reported cases involving Zimbabwean nationals deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping or other similar mission who engaged in or facilitated severe forms of trafficking or who exploited trafficking victims. -- 28 M. (SBU) The country is not identified as a source or destination for child sex tourism. The country's sexual crimes laws do have extraterritorial coverage. There are no reports of any prosecutions or convictions under the extraterritorial provisions. -------------- PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS -------------- -- 29 A. (SBU) Foreign victims of trafficking can receive relief from deportation while receiving victim support services and while their cases are being investigated. The Chief of Immigration may offer a temporary employment permit at his discretion. -- 29 B. (SBU) Zimbabwe does have victim care facilities which are accessible to trafficking victims, including foreign victims. The country does not have specialized facilities dedicated to helping victims of trafficking; however, IOM, Girl Child Network, Oasis Trust, Musasa Project and Save the Children Norway have developed specialized services to assist trafficking victims in their shelters/assistance programs. These services include shelter, medical and psychological assistance, reintegration and livelihood activities, and legal counseling. Funding for these services/programs comes from international donors. The government primarily depends on NGOs and IOs to provide trafficking victims these services. -- 29 C. (SBU) The government does not have the resources to provide funding to foreign or domestic NGOs for trafficking victim services. However, the government routinely refers potential victims to NGOs and IOs for assistance. Additionally, the government allocated land to IOM to establish a reception center for Zimbabweans deported from Botswana to Plumtree, Zimbabwe which is due to open in April. IOM anticipates that this second reception center in Zimbabwe will help identify additional trafficking victims. -- 29 D. (SBU) The Department of Immigration requires all deportees received from South Africa to attend an IOM briefing on safe migration, which includes a discussion of trafficking. This system will also be implemented at the new IOM Reception Center set to open in Plumtree, Zimbabwe. The ZRP, Department of Social Welfare and Department of Immigration do have a mechanism for referring victims of trafficking to victim support; however, at this time the government primarily depends on NGOs and IOs working with vulnerable populations and victims to identify trafficking victims and alert authorities. During the reporting period, four new trafficking victims were identified by IOs or NGOs. -- 29 E. (SBU) Not applicable -- Zimbabwe does not have legalized prostitution. -- 29 F. (SBU) The rights of trafficking victims are respected. Once identified as a trafficking victim, the government usually referred the victim to an NGO or IO for assistance in an expeditious manner. -- 29 G. (SBU) The government encourages victims to assist in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers; however, the lack of resources impedes the ability of the police to pursue many cases. The four victims identified during the reporting period are cooperating with the investigations. Victims may file a civil suit or seek legal action against traffickers. The Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act provides for victim restitution and compensation. The law does not preclude witnesses or victims in a court case against a former employer from seeking other employment or leaving the country. -- 29 H. (SBU) The Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare directly operates programs in three districts to provide orphans and vulnerable children with basic food assistance, support for school fees, counseling for victimized children, HIV/AIDS education and medical assistance. The government also manages a small number of children's homes for vulnerable and orphaned children. However, all such government services are overwhelmed and under-funded. The government primarily depends on NGOs and IOs to provide shelter services. Several NGOs, including Child Protection Services, Girl Child Network and Save the Children Norway, also manage children's shelters. IOM, Musasa Project and Oasis Trust offer shelter services and support to adult trafficking victims. In most cases, the shelter, health care, counseling and reintegration services are paid for by the NGOs and IOs. During the reporting period, these groups provided assistance to at least 10 potential trafficking victims. (SBU) The Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare and UNICEF have agreements with 21 NGOs to advance the National Action Plan for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC),designed to ensure that orphans and vulnerable children were able to access education, food, health services and birth registrations and were protected from abuse and exploitation. During the reporting period, UNICEF reported that the NGOs involved in the program had reached 100,000 OVC with comprehensive support and protection. Additionally, the Department of Social Welfare (under the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare) works closely with IOM and Save the Children Norway to provide protection for children deported from South Africa received at the IOM Reception Center in Beitbridge, Zimbabwe. IOM anticipates that the new reception center in Plumtree, Zimbabwe will offer similar services. Additionally, the district council of Beitbridge has a dedicated child protection officer and convenes a child protection committee. -- 29 I. (SBU) The government does not provide its own specialized training on trafficking; however, government officials attended 10 IOM training workshops that focused on trafficking and how to recognize trafficking victims during the reporting period. The country's embassies were not involved in any of the new cases identified during this reporting period. However, the Interpol NCB Zimbabwe office, the Department of Immigration and the Department of Social Welfare were in contact with South African authorities to coordinate victim assistance and investigations in ongoing cases during the reporting period. -- 29 J. (SBU) The government primarily relies on IOM and other NGOs and IOs to provide assistance, such as medical aid, shelter or financial help, to its nationals who are repatriated as victims of trafficking. -- 29 K. (SBU) IOM, UNICEF, Save the Children Norway and Save the Children UK work with a network of local NGOs to support trafficking victims. NGOs include Connect (training for counselors of abuse victims),Corridors of Hope (HIV/AIDS education and counseling),Childline (children's crisis hotline),Streets Ahead (counseling and shelter for children),Girl Child Network (shelter, skills building and counseling for abused girls),Oasis Trust and Musasa Project (shelter and counseling for domestic abuse and trafficking victims),and The Center (counseling for HIV/AIDS patients.) These groups reported that they generally received good cooperation from local authorities, but that the level of cooperation often depended on the location. In some areas, officials were difficult to work with because they did not understand trafficking or denied any problem existed. In other areas, officials were very cooperative and eager to receive training and other assistance in building capacity. In cases involving children, the Department of Social Welfare, Ministry of Health and Children and local child protection committees were involved in placing the child with family or finding a suitable solution. The government generally ensured that victims received adequate care from service providers. -------------- PREVENTION -------------- -- 30 A. (SBU) The government, including senior officials at law enforcement, immigration and social welfare agencies, acknowledges that trafficking is a problem in the country. Senior government officials frequently speak out publicly about the dangers of trafficking, illegal migration, prostitution and exploitative labor conditions. In July 2007, President Mugabe announced plans to ratify the UN Trafficking Protocol. In January, the government announced the signing of an MOU with South Africa to regularize Zimbabwe migrant farm laborers working illegally in South Africa. -- 30 B. (SBU) The state-run media continues to print and air messages about the dangers of illegal migration and that warn the public about false employment scams, underage and forced marriages, prostitution and exploitative labor conditions. During the year, an IOM anti-trafficking radio campaign aired in five languages on all four government-controlled radio stations, which broadcast the public service announcement eight times per day during the peak migration periods. The government radio stations are a primary source of information throughout the country, especially in the rural areas. -- 30 C. (SBU) The government generally has a good working relationship with international organizations and NGOs on trafficking-related issues. There were some delays in receiving permission/permits to conduct trafficking-related studies/activities, but these activities were ultimately allowed to proceed. Unlike in previous years, there have not been reports of government harassment of NGOs working on the trafficking issue. -- 30 D. (SBU) The Department of Immigration does not currently have the ability to systematically monitor the growing number of illegal migrants deported from South Africa, Botswana and Zambia to effectively identify emerging trafficking patterns. Immigration officials do screen for potential victims; however, the government primarily depends on IOM protection officers and in-take procedures to identify victims. -- 30 E. (SBU) The government has an inter-ministerial taskforce on trafficking made up of senior government officials; however, it still lacks a multi-agency operational working group that can effectively combat the trafficking problem in practice. The head of the inter-ministerial taskforce is a senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In terms of specific cases, the Interpol NCB Zimbabwe office is the point of contact for cases requiring international cooperation, and the VFU of the ZRP serves as the lead for cases of involving internal trafficking. The government does have a public corruption commission, but it is under-funded, politicized and has yet to register any notable accomplishments. -- 30 F. (SBU) The government does not have a national plan of action to address trafficking in persons. IOM is currently organizing all the NGOs and IOs that work on trafficking to complete a resource and gap assessment exercise before approaching the government to form a stakeholders working group. -- 30 G: (SBU) The state-run media continues to print and air messages about the dangers of illegal migration and that warn the public about false employment scams, underage and forced marriages, prostitution and exploitative labor conditions. During the year, an IOM anti-trafficking radio campaign aired in five languages on all four government-controlled radio stations, which broadcast the public service announcement eight times per day during the peak migration periods. The government radio stations are a primary source of information throughout the country, especially in the rural areas. These awareness materials and radio spots include government and IOM contact details for victims to call for assistance or information. -- 30 H. (U) Not applicable. -- 30 I. (SBU) Post does not have any information on measures the government has adopted to ensure that its nationals who are deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping or other similar mission do not engage in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking or exploit victims of such trafficking. -------------- CONTACT INFORMATION -------------- ¶2. (U) Post point of contact for trafficking in persons is Scott C. Higgins; office phone 263-4-250-593, extension 321; fax 263-4-253-000; e-mail HigginsSC@state.gov. The estimated hours spent per officer in preparation of this report are as follows: PolOff 40 hours, PolAsst 5 hours, PolChief 1 hour review, DCM 1 hour review, AMB 1 hour review. MCGEE