Lomé, Togo, July 31, 2024 (AfreePress) – The international community celebrated, as it does every year, the World Day Against Human Trafficking. It was this Tuesday, July 30. In Togo, the event is of particular importance. In Lomé, Compassion International Togo brought together its partners, including the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), the Network Against Child Trafficking in Togo (RELUTET), sectoral ministries and partner churches for an in-depth reflection on the issue of human trafficking, especially that of children in the country.
Under the theme: « Leave no child behind in the fight against human trafficking », this conference-debate, held both in person and online, allowed the Christian organization and its partners in Togo as well as other actors in Nigeria to take stock of the state of human trafficking in West Africa and Togo in particular. They were able to share their experiences and define new strategies to eradicate this scourge.
« This celebration offers us the opportunity to mobilize and debate on this crucial theme. As an organization dedicated to holistic child development, the fight against human trafficking is a priority for us. At Compassion International Togo, we care for more than 85,000 children and young people. This subject is close to our hearts because we have been confronted with cases of child victims of trafficking, » said Koffi Ahonon, National Director of Compassion International Togo.
The various presentations and exchanges during a panel made it possible to identify the factors that promote these practices. One of the main challenges that organizations engaged in this fight face is the lack of reliable data.
The few statistics available come from periodic projects carried out by various organizations, which does not allow to measure precisely the extent of the phenomenon.
« In 2016, 2,332 children were victims of trafficking, with 1,723 cases of cross-border trafficking and 609 cases of internal trafficking. In 2017, 1,075 children were victims, including 607 cases of cross-border trafficking and 468 cases of internal trafficking. In 2018, 732 victims, including 441 cases of cross-border trafficking and 291 cases of internal trafficking. This year, we have recorded 22 cases of trafficking from Sierra Leone. Currently, 86 migrants, including 26 Togolese in Equatorial Guinea, are being repatriated to Togo (Source: CNLTP), but there is a problem of resources, » explained GBEMOU Emile, a member of RELUTET.
For this specialist, the lack of data is linked to the complexity of the phenomenon. The identification and protection of child victims remains a challenge due to low reporting, lack of awareness and insufficient resources allocated to victim support services. Traffickers often use coercion, deception and threats to maintain control over their victims, making it difficult for authorities to intervene.
Compassion International Togo and its partners are committed to addressing these challenges with a particular focus on raising awareness, fighting poverty, protecting vulnerable groups, and supporting victims of trafficking.
« We know that poverty is one of the triggers. Parents, out of naivety, sometimes let their children work with acquaintances in other localities, or even other countries, in exchange for income. Many young people also go on adventures due to a lack of adequate information and end up falling into the clutches of forced labour and exploitation. This meeting allows us to come out with concrete action plans to improve our fight against this scourge, » said the National Director of Compassion.
One of the solutions identified during this meeting is the fight against irregular migration. Churches are called to play a crucial role in this area.
« The role of the Church is above all preventives. The Church must ensure that it does everything possible to prevent our young people from falling into the trap of human trafficking, by raising awareness among its faithful and integrating this phenomenon into its teachings and activities, » said Ms. Angèle WILSON-DOGBE, Director of the AACC Regional Office.
In addition to raising awareness, the Church and other actors are also called upon to offer financial and psychological support to victims.
Speaking from Nigeria, Rev. Emmanuel Gabriel, National Director of the Symbol of Hope Project, shared his country’s initiatives in the fight against human trafficking. KADJOU Blewoussi of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Togolese Abroad also recalled the actions carried out by the Togolese government at the national and international levels.
It is important to note that human trafficking primarily affects children and takes a variety of forms, including exploitation through forced labour, crime or begging, trafficking for illegal adoption, and online sexual exploitation and violence.
The penalties provided for by Togolese law against this trafficking range from five to ten years in prison and a fine ranging from five to ten million CFA francs.
Raphaël A
