Nov 1

Written by: host
11/1/2006 10:42 AM

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is trying to raise awareness of the problem of human trafficking in Zambia, which may be acting as a hub for the crime in southern Africa. The country became aware of the problem in 2005 when a Congolese woman was arrested trying to traffic 14 children through the country on the way to South Africa. The government was unable to prosecute the woman due to the fact that there was no adequate legislation at the time. Since then, in response to public outrage, anti-trafficking laws have been passed, but as yet not a single prosecution has been secured.\r\nOlivia Kafukanya of the IOM in Zambia said "After a few high-profile cases the government is finally taking the problem seriously, though it is hard to catch anyone because the victims are almost always too scared to talk"\r\nThere is also a problem with lack of resources. In some areas of the country prosecutors do not know about the anti-trafficking legislation. The Zambian government, the IOM and other NGOs are trying to make a difference in the level of awareness and action against trafficking, but there is a long way to go. For more on this and related subjects, please visit Reuters AlertNet by clicking here.

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