CATHOLIC CHURCH FIGHTS TIP IN CAMEROON'S NORTH WEST

UNCLAS YAOUNDE 000376 DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, DRL, AF/C PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA ACTION OFFICERS USDOC FOR ITA - BURRESS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTIP PGOV PHUM ELAB CM SUBJECT: CATHOLIC CHURCH FIGHTS TIP IN CAMEROON'S NORTH WEST ¶1. (U) Summary: An April 14 conference in Bamenda, the capital of Cameroon's North West Region, highlighted the Catholic Church's efforts to combat trafficking in persons (TIP),with apparent success. The regional branch of the Justice and Peace Committee (JPC) of the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (ECC) presented a survey on the magnitude of trafficking in the region and the measures thus far taken to address the issue in cooperation with international organizations and local government authorities already working on trafficking and related issues. End summary. An Informative Survey and Resounding Testimonies -------------- ¶2. (U) The JPC released the results of a survey funded by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) that identified the North West Region as having the highest rate of human trafficking in Cameroon. The survey also concluded the majority of trafficking victims are children, eighty percent being girls (10-25 years old) from remote,Q rural areas. Relatives are involved inQhe transaction 53 percent of the time. These trafficked children work primarily as housemaids (40 percent),babysitters (10 percent),and in prostitution (8 percent). Financial difficulties appear to be the leading reasons behind this form of trafficking. In recent years, JPC withdrew and rehabilitated fifty children from trafficking. ¶3. (U) Testimonies by two girls withdrawn from trafficking further convinced the audience on the magnitude of the problem. The Chief of Staff of the North West Region Gendarmerie Legion also gave an overview of the trafficking situation. LTC Rene Kountchou covered the March 23 case of a trafficker who was caught transporting five children to the Center Region to work in a cocoa farm. The trafficker is currently detained in the Bamenda prison pending trial. According to Kounthcou, the peak seasons for human trafficking are the March-May and September-October timeframes, which correspond to intensive farming seasons. Countering trafficking -------------- ¶4. (U) The JPC's counter trafficking policy consists of a three-part action plan: prevention, protection, and reintegration. Preventive campaigns include sensitization at all levels, including communities, churches, schools, and families. The JPC also called for frequent raids by security forces in targeted areas, noisy anti-trafficking campaigns, and the enhancement of moral standards. The JPC called for the creation of vigilante groups that monitor the movements of children in and around the villages. The JPC also encouraged people to use anonymous denunciations and recommended a full implementation of the law against child trafficking. The Reintegration Strategy focuses on reuniting victims with their families, counseling, and providing support to victims. The JPC's next challenge is to create a rescue center in which to house children withdrawn from trafficking. Cooperation with GRC -------------- ¶5. (U) The JPC cooperates regularly with government institutions, including the security forces and the judiciary, who each received a copy of the survey. Justice Beatrice Keng Tayong (a magistrate from the Bamenda court) briefed participants on the child trafficking law of December 2005. Tayong emphasized the criminal nature of trafficking, and expounded on the national and international character of the legislation. She also encouraged victims and families to denounce traffickers, even anonymously, and to file complaints against them. (NOTE: Many families do not file complaints after their children have been trafficked due to fear of retaliation. END NOTE) LTC Kountchou reiterated the commitment of security forces to crackdown on offenders and protect confidentiality of victims, but said they needed help from trafficking victims and their families. International Dimension -------------- ¶6. (U) Justice Beatrice Keng Tayong and JPC coordinator Laura Naddin Ngwa emphasized the international dimension of trafficking in Cameroon. Although none quoted the State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons report, both mentioned Cameroon's Tier 2 Watch list position for failing to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking, for failing to prosecute and convict traffickers, and for failing to publish statistics. They acknowledged such activities are a challenge for all, and as Laura Naddin Ngwa put it, "we feel obliged to contribute our own quota in the fight against this crime and in a way shape a better future for our country." Comment -------------- ¶7. (U) Child trafficking will only be eradicated in Cameroon, and in particular, in the North West Region, with an increased coordination of all actors involved. Thanks to its national network of churches, schools, and health centers, the Catholic Church appears to be a major asset in the fight against child trafficking. This conference was an excellent starting point, bringing together actors who rarely meet. Post will consult with G/TIP to see how the USG might support this worthwhile effort. Fox