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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 LIBREVILLE 000146 
 
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SIPDIS 
 
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PASS TO USAID 
 
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TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC
ELAB 
SUBJECT: GABON: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT 2008 
 
REF: STATE 2731 
 
LIBREVILLE 00000146  001.2 OF 007 
 
 
¶1. (U) Embassy POC for Trafficking in Persons (TIP) issues is 
Poloff Leslie Doumbia, Tel: 241-76-20-03, Mobile: 
241-07-91-02-21, Fax: 241-74-55-07. To prepare this report, 
Poloff Leslie Doumbia spent 25 hours, Political Assistant 
Cedric Pehoua spent 15, DCM Nathan Holt spent five 5 hours, 
and Ambassador Eunice Reddick spent one hour. 
 
¶2. (U) Following responses are keyed to reftel paras 27-30. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Overview of Gabon's activities to eliminate 
trafficking in persons: 
 
27-A: Gabon is primarily a destination country for children 
trafficked from Benin, Nigeria, Togo, and Guinea, among other 
countries.  Informal and unsubstantiated estimates of the 
number of persons trafficked range from several hundred to 
several thousand.  Girls are employed as domestic servants, 
in market vending, and as staff in roadside restaurants, 
while boys are employed in small workshops and as street 
vendors.  More recently, young adults appear to have been 
trafficked to Gabon under false pretenses to work as forced 
domestic servants and prostitutes.  The victims are typically 
trafficked into the country by boat and deposited on one of 
many deserted beaches to avoid detection.  Gabon has only a 
minimal ability to patrol its coastal waters and its land 
borders are likewise poorly policed.  Gabon therefore has 
only a minimal ability to prevent the entry of persons, 
including trafficking victims, into the country.  The United 
States is providing assistance to help Gabon improve its 
coastal patrol capabi 
lities. 
 
The trafficking of young adults, believed to be on the 
increase, is in some cases difficult to distinguish from 
traditional labor migration.  Gabon is a destination country 
for labor migration from other, poorer African states. 
Officials in Gabon consistently contend that a single-country 
approach to trafficking is counterproductive.  Gabon supports 
and participates in regional initiatives against trafficking. 
 
Comprehensive official statistics on trafficking are 
unavailable, although the government has provided some data 
on efforts to combat trafficking.  NGO's and UN 
organizations, particularly UNICEF, are other sources of 
information on trafficking, and information appears 
occasionally in the Gabonese press.  There is an 
inter-ministerial committee that regularly meets to follow 
child trafficking issues.  They are finalizing their report 
of 2007 activities and preparing their plan of action for 
¶2008. 
 
27-B: 
 
There is evidence that the nature of trafficking in Gabon is 
changing to include older victims in locations other than 
Libreville.  Active law enforcement and increased awareness 
have forced traffickers to change their tactics.  While the 
majority of the victims are still employed in various forms 
of forced labor, there are fewer victims visible to the 
mainstream population.  There appears to be also an increased 
number of victims used for commercial sex work, specifically 
in the city of Port Gentil. 
 
Most trafficking victims continue to arrive from Benin, Togo, 
Nigeria, and Guinea, with smaller numbers coming from Sierra 
Leone, Liberia, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon.  Most are 
employed in Libreville and Port Gentil, but victims are also 
found in smaller towns in the interior, including Oyem, 
Gamba, Tchibanga, and Franceville.  The great majority arrive 
by boat (pirogues).  Many victims arrive in Gabonese waters 
in large pirogues that remain over the horizon and transfer 
passengers to smaller pirogues that take advantage of Gabon's 
numerous estuaries and rivers to infiltrate children and 
other trafficking victims into the interior. 
 
 
LIBREVILLE 00000146  002.2 OF 007 
 
 
Traffickers/exploiters appear to operate in loose 
ethnic-based crime networks.  Most of the traffickers of 
children are women.  As best we can determine, large 
international organized crime syndicates are not involved; 
neither are employment, travel and tourism agencies or 
marriage brokers. 
 
27-C:  The Gabonese Department of Labor houses the 
inter-ministerial committee charged with coordinating the 
government's activities to combat child trafficking.  This 
committee includes representatives from the ministries of 
interior, foreign affairs, social affairs, justice, human 
rights, transportation, and family affairs. 
 
27-D:  Although Gabon is wealthier than many of its 
neighbors, key government institutions, including the police, 
the navy, the ministry of labor, and the ministry of social 
welfare, are under-funded.  Gabon therefore faces serious 
obstacles in efforts to effectively police borders, 
investigate alleged trafficking, assist victims and bring 
perpetrators to justice.  Corruption is also a significant 
problem in Gabonese society, reducing significantly the 
effectiveness of government actions. 
 
Government agencies rescued 30 children of various ages 
believed to be victims of trafficking in 2007, according to 
government statistics.  Of these, the majority were placed in 
natural or foster families.  Eight fled and are believed to 
have returned to live on the streets.  There are three NGOs 
in Gabon working with trafficked children. 
 
27-E: The Department of Labor, via the inter-ministerial 
committee, is in the process of mapping the resources and 
capabilities of all of the actors (internal departments, 
international organizations, and bilateral partners) working 
in Gabon in the fight against child trafficking, in an effort 
to identify and address gaps.  Gabon has participated in 
regional initiatives to improve maritime and land border 
security, and in regional anti-trafficking initiatives. 
Government tracks the outcome of children rescued from 
trafficking, and has provided some information on the status 
of cases brought against traffickers. 
 
----------------------------- 
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION 
OF TRAFFICKERS 
----------------------------- 
 
28-A:  Gabon has a law specifically prohibiting trafficking 
in persons.  The law does not distinguish between children 
trafficked for sexual purposes and those trafficked for 
labor.  Law 09/04, enacted September 21, 2004, protects 
children against trafficking into Gabon and can carry prison 
sentences of 5-15 years and fines from $20,000 to $40,000. 
Gabon has not implemented any new legislation since the last 
TIP report. 
 
This law does not make provisions for internal trafficking. 
Should such a case occur, the Gabonese constitution and labor 
codes protect children against exploitation.  Criminals can 
be charged with violating child labor and truancy laws. 
Chapter 4, Article 177 of the Gabonese labor code states that 
children cannot be employed under the age of 16, without the 
authorization of a special decree.  Law Number 9/66 of the 
Gabonese constitution obliges all children living in Gabon to 
attend school between the ages of 6 and 16. 
 
The trafficking law (Law 09/04) also does not protect victims 
over the age of 18.  However, current Gabonese legislation 
bans all forms of forced labor. 
 
28-B:  There are no prescribed penalties for trafficking 
people for sexual exploitation.  However, anyone accused of 
sexual exploitation can be brought up on charges from 
Articles 255 to 263 of the Gabonese penal code. 
 
28-C: While Gabon's law against child trafficking imposes 
 
LIBREVILLE 00000146  003.2 OF 007 
 
 
criminal penalties upon those convicted of trafficking 
offences.  The law does not distinguish between children 
trafficked for sexual purposes and those trafficked for 
labor; however, it explicitly prescribes penalties for 
trafficking for labor exploitation.  The law treats 
traffickers and those who employ trafficking victims the 
same. 
 
To date, however, there have been no successful prosecutions 
of individuals arrested for child trafficking offenses.  Nor 
have there been suspended sentences of prosecutions resulting 
only in the imposition of fines. 
 
Slow and ineffective prosecution, combined with lengthy 
pretrial imprisonment, are unfortunately hallmarks of the 
Gabonese judicial system for most detainees, including 
suspected traffickers.  Most participants in this flawed 
system, including police, detainees, lawyers, and human 
rights advocates, view these lengthy detentions as a de facto 
form of punishment. 
 
According to statistics from the Gabonese government, 16 
persons were arrested for suspected trafficking offenses 
between January 2007 and February 2008.  Of those arrested, 
three escaped.  Five were released by the tribunal pending 
further proceedings because of "hardship", including the need 
to care for lawfully dependant children.  Eight persons were 
awaiting trial and judgment by the end of the period.  All 
the persons arrested were women.  Government also reports 
that it is attempting to bring a case against a male citizen 
of Benin whom it suspects of trafficking. 
 
28-D: Penalties for rape range from two to ten years in 
prison and fines, and are not as stringent as those against 
trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. 
 
28-E: There are no laws specifically outlawing prostitution, 
but activities that profit from prostitution, including 
pimping and brothels, are criminalized.  Police can apply 
public obscenity laws to prostitution, which carry a prison 
sentence of 1 to 2 years. 
 
28-F:  As noted above, 16 persons were arrested for 
trafficking offenses between January 2007 and February 2008. 
None of those cases had proceeded to trial and resolution 
before the end of the review period.  In Gabon's judicial 
system, a case can take up to two years before a trial.  Even 
after the verdict is announced, no definitive conviction can 
be announced until all appeals have been exhausted.  That 
process can take significant additional time. 
 
Ministry of Justice officials say that pre-2007 trafficking 
cases have also languished because the victims were 
repatriated to their countries prior to trial.  The Ministry 
of Justice says it has worked with other relevant government 
agencies so that the victims can stay in Gabon, and receive 
appropriate care, until the prosecution makes its case. 
 
In the cases of women operating in open-air markets, 
traffickers are sometimes also the employer of trafficked 
children.  Except for these cases, there have been no other 
arrests or prosecutions of employers of trafficked children. 
 
The Ministry of Justice is currently working on a project to 
assign judges for two year terms to work exclusively on 
trafficking cases. 
 
28-G:  The government has worked with international 
organizations (including the ILO and foreign embassies) to 
provide various forms of specialized training on human 
trafficking.  Training has focused on prevention and 
assistance to victims.  The Gabonese government has fully 
subscribed to anti-trafficking training when offered, 
allowing law enforcement and ministry officials the time to 
attend.  Gabonese officials have expressed strong interest in 
the upcoming Department of Justice International Criminal 
Investigative Assistance Training Program (ICITAP) project. 
 
LIBREVILLE 00000146  004.2 OF 007 
 
 
 
28-H: Gabon advocates a regional approach to trafficking 
problems.  A regional information-sharing hub for law 
enforcement agencies proposed in 2004 is not yet operational. 
 A Gabonese delegation attended a joint conference of the 
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the 
Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS or CEEAC 
in its French acronym) in Abuja in July 2006, where an accord 
was signed to address trafficking from a regional approach. 
Following the completion of its Plan of Action 2008, the 
inter-ministerial committee plans to work on the 
implementation of the requirements of that agreement.  Gabon 
also attended a regional meeting on child protection in Sao 
Tome and Principe in September 2007, at the invitation of 
the Government of the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe and 
the General Secretariat of CEEAC, with support from UNICEF. 
 
The government works with other countries' governments on the 
repatriation of victims to their countries of origin.  Law 
enforcement officials maintain informal and unofficial 
contact with counterparts in countries of origin. 
 
28-I: There have been no instances of extradition for 
individuals accused of trafficking by other states, nor of 
any requests by other governments for Gabon to do so.  Gabon 
has extradited foreigners to their home countries when 
requested by law enforcement authorities. 
 
28-J: There is no evidence implicating the government in 
trafficking. The lack of political will to punish the 
employers of trafficked children is at times viewed as 
government toleration of the practice. 
 
28-K: No government officials have been implicated in 
trafficking or corruption connected with trafficking. 
 
28-L: Gabon contributes a small number of troops to a 
peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic. 
There have been no reported instances of them engaging in or 
facilitating trafficking, or exploiting victims of such 
trafficking. 
 
28-M: Gabon has not been identified as being a child sex 
tourism destination. 
 
------------------------- 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE 
TO VICTIMS 
------------------------- 
 
29-A: The inter-ministerial committee sponsored a workshop in 
February that included all committee members, NGO 
representatives, and several international partners, 
including UNICEF, to discuss ways in which to better care for 
victims of child trafficking.  Recommendations included 
issuance of temporary living permits to victims awaiting 
repatriation so they could better access social services and 
the formulation of an easier reinsertion process.  These and 
other recommendation will be put forward as proposed 
legislation at a later date. 
 
Generally, government supports efforts by reception centers 
to care for trafficked children.  It also allows de facto 
temporary residency status and does not deport trafficked 
children. 
 
29-B: The government has three reception centers in Gabon for 
trafficking victims, which provide educational, medical, and 
psychological services.  Two centers are located in 
Libreville and one in Port Gentil.  Child victims reside in a 
center until their repatriation can be arranged.  Reception 
centers are clean and adequately funded, and center staff 
members work with the embassies of countries of origin to 
repatriate victims. 
 
Comprehensive official figures on number of victims and 
funding sources are unavailable.  However, government reports 
 
LIBREVILLE 00000146  005.2 OF 007 
 
 
that for the year ending February 2008, nine children had 
been repatriated from the three reception centers, eight 
remained at the centers, and 10 had left the centers under 
other arrangements.  Two of those had had left the centers, 
aged 17 and 20, were subsequently arrested. 
 
Government reports that between January 2007 and February 
2008, 24 suspected child trafficking victims were rescued 
from living on the streets.  Of these, 11 were placed in 
foster families, and five returned to their natural families. 
 Eight were reported to have fled and returned to live on the 
streets. 
 
29-C: The government provides some material support to NGOs 
and UNICEF to fight trafficking.  There is a joint 
UNICEF-government call center which is staffed by employees 
of the Gabonese government, housed in a government-owned 
office building, with expenses covered by the Government. 
UNICEF has fully or partially funded numerous projects and 
initiatives related to child trafficking at the national and 
regional level. 
 
29-D: Security forces attempt to identify trafficking victims 
among high-risk persons with whom they come in contact.  The 
security forces screen apparent trafficking victims based on 
age.  Those 16 and under are placed in the Government-run 
center or temporary family foster arrangements; older victims 
are placed with a Catholic charity; and Nigerian victims are 
placed with the Nigerian Embassy. 
 
29-E: Gabon has no law specifically outlawing prostitution, 
although activities profiting from prostitution are 
criminalized.  The government does not have an effective 
mechanism for screening for trafficking victims among persons 
involved in the commercial sex trade. 
 
29-F:  Victim's rights are generally respected.  Victims are 
typically housed in reception centers or foster families 
until repatriated.  Victims have been housed in jails 
overnight on occasion, but were not confined in the cells and 
were segregated from criminal detainees. 
 
There is one case of two Beninese citizens, currently aged 17 
and 20, who presented themselves to Gabonese authorities as 
victims of trafficking, and identified a Beninese man as the 
trafficker.  When confronted, the accused trafficker made 
counter-accusations against his accusers--who were jailed for 
two months.  The case is ongoing, with government officials 
examining possible criminal proceedings against all involved. 
 UNICEF is working with Ministry of Justice officials to 
ensure that the rights of the alleged trafficking victims are 
respected in these proceedings. 
 
 
29-G: Victims and their testimony are needed for prosecution 
of the offenders.  While testimony has been taken by law 
enforcement agencies in the course of arrests, in many of the 
older pending cases the victims were repatriated before the 
prosecution could depose them.  This has slowed down 
prosecution in these cases.  The Ministry of Justice has 
worked with other relevant government agencies to keep the 
victims in Gabon (and taken care of) until the prosecution 
can make their case.  There have been no known instances of 
victims taking civil legal action against their traffickers, 
but the poverty and lack of education on the part of both 
traffickers and victims make such action unlikely.  There are 
no programs for restitution. 
 
29-H: The government has no witness protection program.  The 
government-run centers are the primary shelters for 
trafficking victims. 
 
29-I: The government does not provide specialized training 
for officials, but encourages NGOs and donor countries to 
provide training, and permits and encourages full 
participation in the training by security and ministry 
officials. 
 
LIBREVILLE 00000146  006.2 OF 007 
 
 
 
29-J: There have been no reports of Gabonese trafficking 
victims being repatriated from other African states. 
 
29-K: UNICEF and the Italian NGO ALISEI are active in Gabon. 
Both organizations provide assistance to victims and assist 
in the training of law enforcement and ministry employees. 
The government provides material resources to these entities, 
but does not contribute any monetary assistance. 
 
---------- 
PREVENTION 
---------- 
 
30-A:  Gabon acknowledges trafficking as a problem, and has 
taken steps to fight the problem, including the passing of a 
trafficking law, the support of victim care centers, 
participation in international anti-trafficking efforts, and 
the arrest and detention of alleged traffickers.  Gabon, a 
destination country for both trafficking and regional labor 
migration, sees itself as victimized by a problem that is 
created by regional poverty.  Gabon therefore argues strongly 
for a regional approach to prevent trafficking.  Gabonese 
authorities further assert that it is the responsibility of 
the country of origin to contribute to the costs of victim 
care and repatriation.  Government officials expressed their 
intention to work closely with members of CEEAC, in 
particular, but also ECOWAS, to ensure the commitments made 
at the 2006 ECOWAS/CEEAC conference are met. 
 
30-B: The government ran information/educational campaigns 
throughout the year.  Gabon's inter-ministerial committee ran 
campaigns to target cities, towns and villages outside of 
Libreville.  Government media also provided coverage to 
trafficking issues, including the ongoing regional 
initiatives. 
 
30-C: The government worked throughout the year with local 
and international organizations on prevention and protection 
of victims.  ALISEI worked with government and other partners 
to establish a network of NGOs working on the issue.  In 
February 2008, ALISEI, with its government and other NGO 
partners, released a collection of all of the current laws 
and regulations concerning child trafficking to foster better 
understanding among all of the actors in the fight against 
this problem. 
 
30-D: The government attempts to monitor both emigration and 
immigration.  Political will supports serious efforts to 
combat illegal immigration.  Despite political will, however, 
traffickers take advantage of Gabon's mainly long and poorly 
patrolled coastline as well as its porous land borders.  The 
government continues to expend effort and resources to 
improve immigration controls. 
 
30-E: There is an Inter-Ministerial Committee to Combat Child 
Trafficking which has been more active this year than in the 
past.  However, the committee still has no clearly defined 
budget or offices, and there are significant problems in 
coordination among various government agencies.  The 
government also has a commission to combat corruption and a 
minister responsible for oversight of anti-corruption 
activities.  The president has also spoken out strongly 
against corruption.  Anti-corruption activities have so far 
had mixed success, however. 
 
30-F:  In 2007, the Inter-Ministerial Committee to Combat 
Child Trafficking developed a TIP strategy, drafted with 
input from NGOs and international agencies, but was unable to 
fully implement it due to resource constraints and lack of 
coordination.  The committee is preparing its plan of action 
for 2008. The Gabonese Gendarmerie and National Police have 
taken the initiative to implement anti-trafficking law 
enforcement strategies. 
 
30-G: There was no government action during the reporting 
period to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts. 
 
LIBREVILLE 00000146  007.2 OF 007 
 
 
 
30-H: Not Applicable. 
 
30-I: Not Applicable. 
REDDICK