SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LIBREVILLE 000139 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR G/TIP: VZEITLIN; G, INL, DRL, PRM, AF/RSA PLEASE PASS TO USAID E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC ELAB SUBJECT: SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT 2008 REF: STATE 2731 LIBREVILLE 00000139 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Embassy POC for Trafficking in Persons (TIP) issues is Poloff Leslie Doumbia, Tel: 241-76-20-03, Mobile: 241-07-91-02-21, Fax: 241-74-55-07. To prepare this report, Political Officer Leslie Doumbia spent approximately 2 hours and two Locally Engaged Staff (LES) in Sao Tome and Principe spent approximately 5 hours. ¶2. (U) Responses below correspond to subject headings in reftel: Overview, Investigation and Prosecution, Protection and Assistance to Victims, and Prevention. ¶3. (SBU) TIP Report: -------------- OVERVIEW -------------- Sao Tome is not a destination, transit country, or point of origin for trafficking in persons. The Sao Tomean Government has found no evidence that trafficking occurs from, through, or to Sao Tome and Principe, and no NGOs, law enforcement agencies, or diplomatic missions report incidents of trafficking. These sources are believed to be reliable. Sao Tome is one of the poorest countries in the region, and is the second smallest country in Africa, with a population of 160,000. It concentrates its limited financial and human resources on the immediate needs of education, health care and poverty reduction; consequently, it has not implemented any programs to address trafficking in persons. Its limited economy makes Sao Tome an unattractive destination for migrants and traffickers, and its relatively homogenous Lusophone culture does not present traffickers with a viable source for potential victims. There are rumors that "foreigners" approach parents about buying their children, but local authorities have not confirmed these rumors. It is also not clear how the children would be able to leave the country once "purchased." -------------- INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKING -------------- A: Sao Tome has no laws specifically addressing trafficking in persons. B: N/A C: There are no prescribed penalties specifically for trafficking for labor exploitation, but the law prohibits forced or compulsory labor, including children. D: Penalties for rape range from 2-12 years in prison. E: There are no laws specifically outlawing prostitution, but activities that profit from prostitution, including pimping and running brothels, are criminalized. F: N/A G: The government does not provide specialized training for officials, but has encouraged NGOs and donor countries to provide law enforcement training on numerous (not specifically TIP) topics. H-L: N/A M: Sao Tome has not been identified as a child sex tourism destination. -------------- PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS -------------- LIBREVILLE 00000139 002.2 OF 002 A-B: N/A C: The government provides no material support to NGOs or UNICEF to support victims; no victims have been identified. However, a regional meeting on child protection took place in Sao Tome and Principe in September 2007, at the invitation of the Government of the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe and the General Secretariat of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS),with the support of the UNICEF, illustrating the government's interest in the issue of child protection. D-H. ¶I. The government does not provide specialized training for officials in identifying trafficking victims and in the provision of assistance to trafficked victims, but has encouraged NGOs and donor countries to provide law enforcement training on numerous (not specifically TIP) topics. J-K: N/A -------------- PREVENTION -------------- A: The government does not acknowledge that trafficking is a problem in the country. A recent study suggests that there may be the danger of trafficking of children due to the increase of poverty in the former plantations; however, there is not any current evidence to indicate that trafficking is a problem. Child labor is a problem. The government is addressing the problem with several initiatives. The Ministry of Education increased mandatory school attendance from fourth until sixth grade, and the government provides some assistance to low income families to keep their children in school. The Ministry of Labor also conducts inspections at work sites. B: There are, and have never been, any government-run anti-trafficking campaigns. C: Government officials and NGOs maintain positive relations focused on economic development, poverty reduction, and other related objectives. D: Sao Tome does not specifically target traffickers and their victims, but does maintain strict passport controls at the airport, requiring visas obtained abroad of nearly all visitors. Sao Tome lacks the capacity to enforce maritime boundaries. E: The Sao Tomean government currently has no mechanism to coordinate actions against trafficking. F: The government does not have a national plan of action to address trafficking in persons. G: The government has not taken any measures during the reporting period to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts. H: N/A I: N/A REDDICK