GOVERNMENT OF GHANA INCREASES RHETORIC ABOUT CHILD

UNCLAS ACCRA 000525 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB PHUM SOCI KTIP XA XY NI TO IV GH SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF GHANA INCREASES RHETORIC ABOUT CHILD PROSTITUTION REF: ACCRA 755 ¶1. (U) The GoG has increased its rhetoric about eliminating child prostitution, and the new Chief Executive of Accra (also called the Mayor) has pledged to demolish Soldier Bar, a brothel known to have employed children, within the next two weeks. He sees the issue as part of overall economic and social development in the capital. ¶2. (U) The Mayor, who was appointed by the President of Ghana and confirmed by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in May 2009, has vowed to improve living conditions in the capital within six months of taking office. His plans to modernize Accra include improved sanitation, removal of illegally built structures, and improved nocturnal security. The destruction of a well-known brothel covers all three objectives and has become a focus of the Mayor's efforts to raise the standard of living in the city. ¶3. (U) National politicians have also joined the chorus calling for the elimination of child prostitution. The Minister for Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC) has stated that a primary goal of her tenure as Minister is to address the issue of child prostitution. The Minister, in consultation with the Greater Accra Regional Minister, plans to close all brothels, including Soldier Bar. In addition, the Parliamentary Caucus on Population visited Soldier Bar shortly after the new Parliament was seated. Following their visit, the Members made public statements about the deplorable conditions in the brothel and called for action to address the issue of child prostitution. ¶4. (U) COMMENT: Various officials have tried in the past to close Soldier Bar in an attempt to eliminate child prostitution, and the newly elected authorities have made statements indicating that they want to remove children from the sex trade. The first step would be to close the country's most famous brothel, but whether they can back up their words with actions remains to be seen. The Mayor has asked the public to give him six months to accomplish his goals, and the residents of Accra will be watching to see if the new administration can accomplish in months what other governments failed to do in years. END COMMENT TEITELBAUM