The Guinea Mission of the U.S. Agency for International Development: Advancing Democratic Governance
Guinea Feels the Effects of Trafficking in Persons
An elderly man from a remote area of Guinea broke into tears when he related how he was powerless to assist an orphan boy taken from his family and sent to a gold mine where he was forced to work from dusk till dawn. In Upper Guinea a mother explained that her daughter left home one day and never returned, apparently suffering a fate similar to other children in the village. These cases are not isolated incidents, but form a disturbing pattern of trafficking in persons that targets young children and even babies.
The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report ranks countries worldwide on a tier system based on their compliance with minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking. The four categories, indicating incrementally increasing levels of trafficking, include Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 Watch List, and Tier 3.
Guinea was recently upgraded to Tier 2 watch list, reflecting deepening concern and drawing special worldwide attention to the problem.
Along the border of Guinea authorities reported 52 cases of trafficked young boys and girls between one and 15 years old. Young children are trafficked for sexual exploitation, illegal adoptions, and cheap labor, particularly in the mining sector. In Guinea, the majority of trafficked children are taken to Conakry for work. The trafficking usually involves an intermediary who promises the parents to educate the child or help the child find work then sells the child into virtual slavery.
Guinea also serves as a transit country for international trafficking. UNICEF has identified a variety of trafficking operations including cross-border trafficking networks that transport young girls from Guinea, Togo and Burkina Faso to Nigeria, or from neighboring countries to Conakry for domestic or sexual work. Some children are transported to Europe, and some trafficking involves individuals who wish to immigrate illegally to other countries.
The two-year USAID project, Strengthening Communities against Trafficking and Exploitation (SCATE), is active in Guinea and Mali.
In this initiative, Save the Children program works to reinforce the capacity of village members, community councils, and government authorities face the threat of trafficking through training and legal reform. The effort also aims to alert authorities, particularly immigrations officials at the border, to detect trafficking in persons.To help young trafficking victims readjust once they have been returned to their families, vocational training centers strive to provide children with useful skills. The program has met with success.
The USAID anti-trafficking program in Guinea yielded impressive results in 2007. Eleven 11 districts covered by a USAID-sponsored Save the Children project took part in the education and child protection assistance plan.
The 2008 report from Save the Children’s indicates that 350 parenting association and management committees have been reinforced. Over 200 teachers have been trained in protection/education, and more than 3000 children sensitized to the dangers of human trafficking.
Story and photo by Francesca Munzi
Last updated February 11, 2007.
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