GOC INFORMED OF NEW TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS TIER

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000230 STATE FOR AF/C, S/USSES AND G/TIP NSC FOR GAVIN LONDON FOR POL -- LORD PARIS FOR POL -- KANEDA ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR AU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM MOPS CD SUBJECT: GOC INFORMED OF NEW TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS TIER III RANKING REF: A. STATE 60545 ¶B. NDJAMENA 224 ¶1. Charge d'affaires and Refugee Coordinator met with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary General Moussa Mahamat Dogo June 15 to inform him of the imminent release of the Trafficking in Persons Report and to explain why the GoC had been downgraded to a Tier III ranking. Secretary General Dogo thanked the Charge for informing the GoC prior to the official release of the report and asked for clarification on what Chad could do to change its new ranking. Charge acknowledged recent GoC progress in liberating 84 child soldiers captured from Chadian rebel units in the course of fighting in May (Ref B). She emphasized that further GoC actions should include legal reform and awareness-raising as well as more collaboration with NGOs and international organizations to prevent trafficking and to care for victims. ¶2. Secretary General Dogo said he deplored the practice of trafficking in Chad and added that his government was committed to making the necessary legal reforms to combat it. He said changing the cultural environment would be more difficult as youth employment is regarded as normal, whether in the military or in the private sector. Dogo noted that though there is no excuse for the use of child combatants, underage individuals employed by the military in noncombatant roles were in many cases providing critical financial support to their families. The Secretary General said he would inform the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chad's new ranking. He expressed interest in future collaboration with the USG and relevant international organizations to combat trafficking in Chad. ¶3. Later June 15, Charge took the opportunity also to inform Minister of Human Rights, Abderaman Djasnabaille of Chad's new Tier III ranking. (The Minister had submitted a written request for USG funding to help finance travel by a Chadian delegation to the 96th Session of the UN Committee on Human Rights July 13 - 31.) Charge explained that Chad had demonstrated insufficient effort to combat trafficking and advised the Minister and his staff on ways the GoC could show progress on the issue. Minister Djasnabaille thanked the Charge for her visit, expressed interest in greater collaboration with the USG, and seemed particularly eager to welcome assistance by USG experts on trafficking. The Minister accepted Charge's explanation that the USG would not be able to finance the GoC's attendance at the July Human Rights Committee meeting in Geneva. He claimed that his ministry was suffering from a funding short-fall following the early departure of Chad's parliament. BREMNER