VZCZCXRO9061
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0787/01 2670652
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230652Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8469
RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000787 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SMIG PHUM PGOV PREL KTIP KCRM KWMN CG
SUBJECT: GDRC TAKING STRIDES TO ADDRESS TIP ISSUES 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The GDRC has recently taken positive steps to 
address trafficking in persons.  It has made some progress in 
addressing the problems of child soldiering and children working in 
the mining sector.  NGO groups, however, have highlighted a 
troubling trend throughout the DRC of growing child prostitution. 
Despite resource and capacity constraints, the GDRC is increasingly 
demonstrating a political will, albeit timorously, to combat 
trafficking in persons.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The GDRC has recently made positive strides to address 
trafficking in persons (TIP) issues.  PolOff and visiting G/TIP 
Analyst met September 2-11 with DRC national and provincial 
government officials, NGOs, and international organizations in 
Kinshasa, Goma, and Lubumbashi to inquire about the current 
trafficking situation and to gauge governmental efforts to address 
TIP issues.  The most challenging TIP problems in the DRC center 
around children: child soldiers, children working in mines, and 
children working in prostitution. 
 
Child Soldiers 
-------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Ntumba Luaba, the Director of the National Disarmament, 
Demobilization, and Reinsertion Program (UE-PNDDR) told us that his 
agency had launched a national awareness campaign of zero tolerance 
for child soldiers earlier in the year.  He estimated that as many 
as 6,000 children remain involved with armed groups in the DRC. 
Luaba said that his office works intensively with MONUC, UNICEF, and 
Save the Children in efforts to extricate children from armed 
groups.  As recently as August 28, Luaba's office helped remove 20 
children from armed groups in North Kivu. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Director of MONUC's Disarmament, Demobilization, 
Repatriation, Resettlement, and Reintegration (DDRRR) program in 
Goma, Ntiaga Diagne, told us that MONUC works closely with the DRC 
national and provincial governments to raise awareness against the 
recruitment of child soldiers.  Diagne opined that children comprise 
up to 10% of the ranks of rebel armed groups.  He noted that the 
GDRC often took the initiative to raise awareness themselves, while 
MONUC assisted GDRC efforts by providing support and guidance. 
 
Children Working in Mines 
------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Representatives from the NGOs Save the Children and 
Solidarity Center in Kinshasa, Goma, and Lubumbashi told us that 
they coordinate closely with provincial ministries of education in 
Mbuji Mayi, Bunia, and Lubumbashi to implement projects aiming to 
reinsert children working in the mines into the formal educational 
system.  The project targets 12,000 children, 4,000 of whom are in 
the mining area of Kolwezi, Katanga.  The provincial ministries of 
education assist in promoting the construction of new schools and 
increasing the capacity of existing schools in order to absorb the 
additional children.  They also facilitate, through funding of Save 
the Children and Solidarity Center, the training of new and existing 
teachers. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The Katangan Minister of Mines, Barthelemy Mumba, informed 
us that the provincial government had recently designated six 
artisanal mining sites throughout Katanga.  The provincial 
government is currently raising public awareness and encouraging 
miners to move to those sites to improve monitoring of artisanal 
mining.  The goal is to better enforce labor standards and prevent 
the employment of children in mines.  (Note: Only one out of the six 
designated mining sites is currently active.  End Note) 
 
Children Working in Prostitution 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) According to several NGOs, government officials, and 
international organizations, child prostitution is a growing problem 
not only in Kinshasa, but in Goma, Lubumbashi, and throughout the 
DRC.  The phenomenon is especially acute in communities with large 
numbers of IDPs, where families and displaced children do not have 
adequate sources of income.  Girls often fall into very vulnerable 
situations where they are either encouraged by their families to 
work or protective mother figures "take them in," persuading or 
forcing the girls to work as prostitutes.  Although no one has 
accurate data, some organizations fear that several thousand 
children could be working as prostitutes. 
 
Federal and Provincial Government Efforts 
----------------------------------------- 
 
 
KINSHASA 00000787  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The Katangan Minister of Interior informed us that the 
Katangan Provincial Government has created a center for vulnerable 
children.  The center primarily helps street children in Lubumbashi. 
 The center receives technical assistance from NGOs, but the 
provincial government provides all of the financing. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The Katangan Minister of Social Affairs, Therese Lukenge, 
described a provincial program, which allocates $25,000 per month to 
each territory in the province to improve social service 
infrastructure, such as the creation of new schools and health 
centers.  This program began in August 2008 and aims to prevent the 
migration of vulnerable populations to larger cities and to mining 
regions. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) According to Jean-Luc Mutondo, Chief of Staff to the 
national Minister of Gender, Women, and Children, versions of the 
new Child Protection Code, which includes anti-trafficking measures, 
have already passed the National Assembly and Senate.  The bills are 
currently awaiting harmonization in the Joint Committee before a 
draft law will be presented to President Kabila for promulgation. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Comment:  The GDRC and provincial governments have 
recently demonstrated a new commitment to address trafficking 
issues.  The GDRC faces an array of challenges in its efforts to 
combat TIP: serious capacity deficiencies; lack of budgetary 
resources; and infrastructural and geographical constraints 
preventing effective prevention, treatment, and law enforcement 
aspects of anti-TIP efforts.  Nevertheless, there appears to be a 
growing political will to dedicate more resources and attention to 
this problem.  End Comment. 
 
GARVELINK