GDRC TAKING STRIDES TO ADDRESS TIP ISSUES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000787 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SMIG PHUM PGOV PREL KTIP KCRM KWMN CG SUBJECT: GDRC TAKING STRIDES TO ADDRESS TIP ISSUES ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The GDRC has recently taken positive steps to address trafficking in persons. It has made some progress in addressing the problems of child soldiering and children working in the mining sector. NGO groups, however, have highlighted a troubling trend throughout the DRC of growing child prostitution. Despite resource and capacity constraints, the GDRC is increasingly demonstrating a political will, albeit timorously, to combat trafficking in persons. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) The GDRC has recently made positive strides to address trafficking in persons (TIP) issues. PolOff and visiting G/TIP Analyst met September 2-11 with DRC national and provincial government officials, NGOs, and international organizations in Kinshasa, Goma, and Lubumbashi to inquire about the current trafficking situation and to gauge governmental efforts to address TIP issues. The most challenging TIP problems in the DRC center around children: child soldiers, children working in mines, and children working in prostitution. Child Soldiers -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Ntumba Luaba, the Director of the National Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reinsertion Program (UE-PNDDR) told us that his agency had launched a national awareness campaign of zero tolerance for child soldiers earlier in the year. He estimated that as many as 6,000 children remain involved with armed groups in the DRC. Luaba said that his office works intensively with MONUC, UNICEF, and Save the Children in efforts to extricate children from armed groups. As recently as August 28, Luaba's office helped remove 20 children from armed groups in North Kivu. ¶4. (SBU) The Director of MONUC's Disarmament, Demobilization, Repatriation, Resettlement, and Reintegration (DDRRR) program in Goma, Ntiaga Diagne, told us that MONUC works closely with the DRC national and provincial governments to raise awareness against the recruitment of child soldiers. Diagne opined that children comprise up to 10% of the ranks of rebel armed groups. He noted that the GDRC often took the initiative to raise awareness themselves, while MONUC assisted GDRC efforts by providing support and guidance. Children Working in Mines -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Representatives from the NGOs Save the Children and Solidarity Center in Kinshasa, Goma, and Lubumbashi told us that they coordinate closely with provincial ministries of education in Mbuji Mayi, Bunia, and Lubumbashi to implement projects aiming to reinsert children working in the mines into the formal educational system. The project targets 12,000 children, 4,000 of whom are in the mining area of Kolwezi, Katanga. The provincial ministries of education assist in promoting the construction of new schools and increasing the capacity of existing schools in order to absorb the additional children. They also facilitate, through funding of Save the Children and Solidarity Center, the training of new and existing teachers. ¶6. (SBU) The Katangan Minister of Mines, Barthelemy Mumba, informed us that the provincial government had recently designated six artisanal mining sites throughout Katanga. The provincial government is currently raising public awareness and encouraging miners to move to those sites to improve monitoring of artisanal mining. The goal is to better enforce labor standards and prevent the employment of children in mines. (Note: Only one out of the six designated mining sites is currently active. End Note) Children Working in Prostitution -------------- ¶7. (SBU) According to several NGOs, government officials, and international organizations, child prostitution is a growing problem not only in Kinshasa, but in Goma, Lubumbashi, and throughout the DRC. The phenomenon is especially acute in communities with large numbers of IDPs, where families and displaced children do not have adequate sources of income. Girls often fall into very vulnerable situations where they are either encouraged by their families to work or protective mother figures "take them in," persuading or forcing the girls to work as prostitutes. Although no one has accurate data, some organizations fear that several thousand children could be working as prostitutes. Federal and Provincial Government Efforts -------------- KINSHASA 00000787 002 OF 002 ¶8. (SBU) The Katangan Minister of Interior informed us that the Katangan Provincial Government has created a center for vulnerable children. The center primarily helps street children in Lubumbashi. The center receives technical assistance from NGOs, but the provincial government provides all of the financing. ¶9. (SBU) The Katangan Minister of Social Affairs, Therese Lukenge, described a provincial program, which allocates $25,000 per month to each territory in the province to improve social service infrastructure, such as the creation of new schools and health centers. This program began in August 2008 and aims to prevent the migration of vulnerable populations to larger cities and to mining regions. ¶10. (SBU) According to Jean-Luc Mutondo, Chief of Staff to the national Minister of Gender, Women, and Children, versions of the new Child Protection Code, which includes anti-trafficking measures, have already passed the National Assembly and Senate. The bills are currently awaiting harmonization in the Joint Committee before a draft law will be presented to President Kabila for promulgation. ¶11. (SBU) Comment: The GDRC and provincial governments have recently demonstrated a new commitment to address trafficking issues. The GDRC faces an array of challenges in its efforts to combat TIP: serious capacity deficiencies; lack of budgetary resources; and infrastructural and geographical constraints preventing effective prevention, treatment, and law enforcement aspects of anti-TIP efforts. Nevertheless, there appears to be a growing political will to dedicate more resources and attention to this problem. End Comment. GARVELINK