VZCZCXRO5416
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0197/01 1361354
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151354Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2528
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000197 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP AND DRL 
DOL FOR DIANTHA GARMS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12598:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC GV
SUBJECT: CHILD TRAFFICKING IN EASTERN MARITIME GUINEA 
 
REF: CONAKRY 0090 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY. The Prefect in Forecariah continues her efforts to 
combat child trafficking on the border with Sierra Leone, although 
her methods have drawn some criticism. Despite the increase in 
trafficking cases, not all officials in the region agree that child 
trafficking is a problem and some question whether the programs in 
Forecariah are appropriate for targeting "professional" traffickers. 
This cable is the second in a series of reports on child trafficking 
in Guinea. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) During a trip to Forecariah on May 7, Asst Poloff met with 
various local authorities and an orphanage to discuss the prevalence 
of child trafficking in the region. ASST POLOFF also had the 
opportunity to interview alleged victims of child trafficking and 
speak with a woman apprehended for reportedly attempting to sell her 
daughter. 
 
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PREFECT'S VIGILANCE NEW TO BORDER TOWNS 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Asst Poloff met with the Prefect of Forecariah Marie 
Guilavogui, to discuss the prevalence of child trafficking on 
Guinean's eastern maritime border with Sierra Leone. Having been 
trained by Save the Children and UNICEF, Guilavogui said she started 
various forward-thinking programs in the prefecture to combat child 
trafficking, such as creating "vigilant communities" on the border 
and training border officials to identify traffickers. She said the 
vigilant communities demand documentation for children crossing the 
border or pretend to be interested in purchasing a child to catch 
potential traffickers. The Prefect said that these vigilant 
communities are necessary because the under-staffed border security 
personnel cannot monitor the 104 kilometers of border with Sierra 
Leone.  She also said she works closely with her counterpart in 
Sierra Leone to coordinate and share information. 
 
¶4. (U) During a visit to a local orphanage that the Prefect 
established for victims of child trafficking, Asst Poloff saw forty 
children, eleven of which were allegedly victims of child 
trafficking. Asst Poloff met a five year old girl who had been 
reportedly kidnapped, drugged and taken across the border before her 
Sierra Leonean traffickers were apprehended. The orphanage director 
said the alleged traffickers have been transferred to Conakry for 
trial and the girl remains in the custody of the orphanage as the 
authorities try to locate her family. The director also said that 
some of orphanage staff are independently investigating where in 
Sierra Leone the children are being trafficked and for what 
reasons. 
 
----------------- 
JUDICIAL CONCERNS 
----------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Prefect confided that her biggest obstacle in combating 
child trafficking is getting trials for those apprehended.  She said 
that in the 2007, authorities have arrested ten people for child 
trafficking in her prefecture, but that six of these people are 
still awaiting trial in prison. The Prefect said that alleged 
traffickers must be transferred to the Superior Court in Conakry for 
trial, which only holds trials twice a year, but often less 
frequently than that because of funding limitation or low caseloads. 
The Prefect said that transferring prisoners to Conakry is very 
costly and increases the risk of prisoners escaping. 
 
¶6. (U) Asst Poloff also met with the senior Judge in Forecariah, 
Mohamed Saed Job, who clarified that because child trafficking is 
considered a serious crime (minimum of 5 years in prison), those 
convicted must be tried by is Cour D'Assises (Superior Court) in 
Conakry.  Mr. Job said that someone charged with child trafficking 
could wait six months or longer before being transported and tried 
in Conakry. He said that the Justice Branch and police unit in 
Forecariah hold initial investigations to ensure that there is 
adequate evidence against the alleged trafficker.  Asst Poloff asked 
whether they have released an alleged trafficker because of 
insufficient evidence. The judge answered by saying that trafficking 
cases are new in Forecariah, and he has seen only three cases, and 
all were sent to Conakry for trial. 
 
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WOMAN ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO SELL DAUGHTER 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The day before Asst Poloff arrived in Forecariah, a woman 
and her male accomplice were apprehended on the border for allegedly 
trying to sell her daughter. The Prefect invited Asst Poloff to 
interview the woman, who was from Conakry, her 15 year old daughter, 
and a male accomplice.  According to the woman, she was taking her 
 
CONAKRY 00000197  002 OF 002 
 
 
daughter to a village town near the border to get medicine to treat 
her daughter's "theft problem."  She said she was going to see a 
witch doctor that could help her daughter stop stealing.  According 
to the Prefect, one of the community members, who had been trained 
through prefectoral programs to increase vigilance, asked the mother 
how much she wanted to sell her daughter for and when the mother 
began negotiating a price, the local community arrested her. The 
mother said she was only joking and did not really intend to sell 
her daughter.  The Prefect said that the 15 year old girl first said 
her mother was trying to sell her, but later changed her tune when 
she realized that her mother could be thrown in prison.  When Asst 
Poloff interviewed the girl alone, the girl said her mother was not 
trying to sell her and while her mother had joked about selling 
previously, the girl did not think her mother would do it. 
 
¶8. (SBU) While Asst Poloff was in Forecariah, Radio Libertaire, a 
private radio station, was also conducting interviews regarding the 
mother who allegedly tried to sell her daughter on the border. The 
radio station interviewed the Prefect and the director of the 
orphanage as they gathered information about the incident. The 
Prefect mentioned to Asst Poloff that her orphanage has received a 
great deal of press over recent child trafficking incidents in 
Forecariah. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
POLICE COMMISSIONER: TRAFFICKING NOT A PROBLEM 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶9. (SBU) Asst Poloff also met privately with the police commissioner 
Ibrahima Sory Sylla.  Mr. Sylla said that he has been police 
commissioner in Forecariah for about six months. He said that in his 
time as police commissioner he had only seen one legitimate case of 
child trafficking. Mr. Sylla said that "Child trafficking is not a 
problem here. Trafficking is a perception, not a threat or a 
reality." He said that most of the children of the orphanage are 
from poor or broken families and are not victims of trafficking. Mr. 
Sylla also commented on the woman who was apprehended for allegedly 
trafficking ten children to Sierra Leone last year (REFTEL). He said 
that the woman recently came to the police station to pick up her 
identification card and told him that all ten children are now in 
English schools in Sierra Leone. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Mr. Sylla also commented on the new case of the woman who 
allegedly tried to sell her daughter. He said that technically 
speaking, it is not a case of trafficking because her intent was to 
get the girl medicine from a doctor, not to sell her.  Mr. Sylla 
told Asst Poloff that after the police investigation, the 
authorities would most likely release her. The police commissioner 
said there is an important distinction between real traffickers and 
people who are willing to exchange their child for a large sum of 
money. He said that "professional traffickers use drugs and force to 
traffic children." 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) This cable represents a continuation of Embassy efforts to 
understand child trafficking issues in Guinea.  Embassy reporting 
over the last year on this region suggests that Guinea's eastern 
maritime border is a major transit point for trafficking children 
from Guinea to Sierra Leone.  However, there has been no indication 
that children are being trafficked in the opposite direction, i.e. 
from Sierra Leone into Guinea. Although the Prefect has implemented 
a targeted program to address child trafficking issues, 
institutional resistance suggests that her message is not 
penetrating the ranks. She seems sincere in her intentions, but some 
of the Prefect's tactics could back-fire. Encouraging increased 
vigilance among average citizens could create an environment that 
condones vigilante justice. END COMMENT 
CARTER