With the North West region rated high as a source, transit
and destination zone for cross-border trafficking in persons in view of its
boundaries with Nigeria, the task force according to Justice Awasung is
expected to tackle various forms of exploitations like sexual, forced labour,
domestic and human organs trade.
As a major step to meet with the provisions of the 2011 Law
in Cameroon on the fight against human rights trafficking and slavery, North
West Regional Governor Adolph Lele L’Afrique commissioned a 22 man
multidisciplinary task force committee in September 2013 to coordinate
activities in the region following a creation of the inter-Ministerial
Committee to fight trafficking in persons through task forces in each region.
According to the Task Force team leader corroborated by a representative
of NKUMU FED FED! a partner civil society actor, some results have been
achieved particularly the some 31 victims of human trafficking being freed and
supervised for reinsertion and several offenders prosecuted and convicted in
the region. However she indicated that there is need to expand the scope,
institute a focal point, simplify the laws for all to access, train traditional
and municipal authorities on issues of human rights protection amongst others
for more results to be achieve. The wish
for the judicial system to act fast and serve as a deterrent to perpetrators
and provision of public institutions for accommodation of affected children
being trafficked has also been expressed.
While expressing satisfaction with the report presented, the
French Diplomat intimated that ending human trafficking is fully part of French
government’s policy reason why the funds are provided. H.E Gilles will then
proceed to demand regular reports not more than six months as a way to have a
firsthand understanding of what is being done and what can be done.
Amongst those who have been working in the area in the Region
with funds from the French Government is The Research Center for Peace, Human
Rights and Development REPERID that has been caring a special action against
the purchase and sell of babies with special interest on strengthening
cross-border checks, security and judicial cooperation to enhance the fight
against trafficking in person particularly babies between Cameroon and Nigeria.
Covering five countries of the Gulf of Guinea that is
Cameroon, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria and Benin, this reporter gathered that through a
solidarity Fund, France has trained and equipped Magistrates, Police, and
Gendarmerie officers in some of the countries on trafficking in persons and has
also helped them in elaborating cooperation strategies to fight the phenomenon.