Human Trafficking in The Central African Republic

The Central African Republic (CAR) continues to work towards enhancing the government's capacity to combat human trafficking. Various factors, such as violent conflict, extreme poverty, and a strong demand for labor in the informal sector, exacerbate this problem. Groups particularly aligned with the former Seleka government have designed organized village self-defense units to fight the anti-Balaka, creating a demand for soldiers.

Trafficking of Humans in the Central African Republic

Our country has emerged as a region of great concern regarding the trafficking of child soldiers. Illegal armed groups and corrupt elements in the military profit from trafficking and have an economic interest in maintaining the current situation. Groups such as the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR) and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) continue to recruit and use children as combatants, lookouts, and porters. The presence of these troops has created a demand for labor and sexual services.

The Central African Republic has ratified and signed various UN resolutions to end trafficking. For instance, the 2000 Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children (United Nations, 2000), and the 2003 United Nations Convention against Corruption (United Nations, 2003), which focused on prevention and international cooperation. Our country has implemented variations of the solutions discussed during these conventions. CAR partnered with the UN Development Programme, UNICEF, and UNESCO to create a series of seminars to improve their economy.

National Strategies and Efforts

The CAR’s National Action Plan for Education aims for the establishment of schools in rural areas to provide education for all who have never attended school. CAR’s National Strategy to End Recruitment and Use of Children in Armed Conflict aims to end the use of children in armed conflict by negotiating with these groups and securing their release. Although the Central African Republic has made significant efforts to implement the solutions discussed in these seminars, the problems arise from a lack of funding, policy, and enforcement. It is essential for international communities to provide support and resources to bolster these efforts (Human Rights Watch, 2023).

The Human Rights Watch estimated that over 120,000 children are used in armed conflict. CAR recommends demobilizing these child soldiers by enacting a pilot project aimed at undermining the financing of armed groups, specifically targeting adding value to the many ongoing initiatives to contribute to supply chain security for the minerals trade. At its most basic, supply chain policing would involve securing the route from the mine site to the point of export, clearing the transportation corridors of illegal taxation, roadblocks, and coerced labor.

Rehabilitation and Integration

The delegation of the Central African Republic urges the introduction of rehabilitation centers, with a four-step plan addressing the identification of victims within trafficking, and the creation of emergency, rehabilitation, and transit centers. CAR suggests the use of in-country mapping exercises to identify locations and enact a standardized system for referring identified victims to NGOs such as Project to End Human Trafficking to transport them to shelters. These shelters would peacefully integrate victims into society with vocational training. The success of these initiatives would not only help in combating human trafficking but also in rebuilding the societal fabric of the nation (Project to End Human Trafficking, 2023).

References:

Human Rights Watch. (2023). World Report 2023: Events of 2022. Human Rights Watch.

Project to End Human Trafficking. (2023). Our Mission. Project to End Human Trafficking.

United Nations. (2000). Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children. United Nations.

United Nations. (2003). United Nations Convention against Corruption. United Nations.