VZCZCXRO2222
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0220/01 1441324
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231324Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2558
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000220 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP AND DRL 
DOL FOR DIANTHA GARMS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12598:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC ML GV
 
SUBJECT: RECENT CHILD TRAFFICKING INCIDENTS ON GUINEA'S NORTHERN 
BORDERS 
 
REF: BAMAKO 000312 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: (U) Local media reported two alleged child trafficking 
incidents on Guinea's borders with Mali and Senegal. The first 
incident involved 22 children being transported to Mali, and the 
second, 11 children being transported to Senegal. In both cases, 
Koranic teachers, also known as marabouts, were allegedly taking the 
children for Koranic studies in neighboring countries.  According to 
Guinean authorities, the marabouts were transporting the children to 
Mali and Senegal to be exploited into forced labor or begging on the 
streets.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Information in this cable comes from the Conakry Judicial 
Police and from two NGOs working to combat child trafficking in 
Guinea, Save the Children and Sabou Guinea.  The cases illustrate 
the inherent challenges of investigating and prosecuting trafficking 
cases when parents consent to have their child transported by 
another adult. 
 
--------------------------------- 
INCIDENT ON GUINEAN-MALIAN BORDER 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) This is a follow up to reftel, which highlighted the 
prevalence of self-described marabouts who promise to provide a 
Koranic education for children, but instead force the children to 
work in fields or beg in the streets of Bamako.  In March, Radio 
France International (RFI) reported that five alleged traffickers 
were arrested near the Malian-Guinean border for transporting 26 
children, 22 of whom were from Guinean villages near Siguiri. 
According to RFI, one of the alleged traffickers was a marabout who 
was taking the children to Bamako for Koranic studies.  The marabout 
and his four accomplices were arrested by border police in Kita, 
Mali when they could not provide legal documentation for the 
children. 
 
¶4. (U) Sabou Guinea, selected by Guinean authorities to return the 
22 Guinean children to their villages, reported to the Embassy on 
their involvement in this incident. Sabou Guinea said that Koranic 
teacher Drama Malian and his four accomplices are being detained in 
Kita pending trial by Malian authorities. Sabou Guinea reported that 
on March 30, they accompanied the children to Santiguiya (9 
children), Mankadjan (8 children) and Moussala (5 children) and 
spoke to the parents of the alleged trafficking victims.  The 
parents reportedly admitted to entrusting their children to the 
marabout and explained that it is a common practice in their 
village.  The parents added that other children had studied with 
this marabout in Bamako and had returned safely to the village 
afterward.  In one of the villages, Sabou Guinea reported meeting 
five alumni of the marabout, each testifying that they had a 
positive educational experience. 
 
------------------------------------- 
INCIDENT ON GUINEAN-SENEGALESE BORDER 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Also in March, Guinee24 (an internet news site) reported that 
a man was apprehended in Koundara on the Guinean-Senegalese border 
with eleven children ranging in age from 4 to 12.  According to the 
article, the alleged trafficker, said to be a marabout, was 
transporting the children to Saint Louins, Senegal for Koranic 
studies. The children were from Sangaredi, a mining town in the west 
of Guinea. Guinee24 reported that the alleged trafficker claimed the 
children were entrusted to him, but he could not provide legal 
documentation demonstrating parental consent. 
 
¶6. (U) Save the Children has a project in Sangaredi, which is funded 
by the U.S. Department of Labor, aimed at combating child 
trafficking.  Per Embassy requests, Save the Children 
representatives met with the alleged trafficker, the eleven 
children, the parents of the children and the local authorities. 
Save the Children reported that the alleged trafficker had 
permission from the parents to take the children to Senegal for 
Koranic studies.  According to the NGO, because the alleged 
trafficker had parental consent, the Prefect in Sangaredi determined 
this was not a case of child trafficking and therefore returned the 
children to their parents, and released the alleged trafficker. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
GUINEAN AUTHORITY'S REACTION TO INCIDENTS 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) ASST POLOFF inquired about these incidents in a meeting with 
Commissioner Bakary Camara from the Conakry Judicial Police. Mr. 
Bakary commented on the Guinean-Malian border incident, confirming 
that the marabout and his accomplices are in prison in Mali. Mr. 
 
CONAKRY 00000220  002 OF 002 
 
 
Bakary said that he was awaiting a report from the Malian 
authorities to determine if further investigation is needed from the 
Guinean authorities, in order to facilitate the trial in Mali. In 
regards to the incident on the Guinean-Senegalese border, Mr. Bakary 
confirmed that the children had been returned to their families in 
Sangaredi and the alleged trafficker released by local authorities. 
 
 
¶8. (U) Mr. Bakary said that local authorities are just beginning to 
understand that children who are sent to Senegal and Mali for 
Koranic studies are often subjected to forced labor or begging on 
the streets.  Mr. Bakary said that child trafficking is a major 
problem on Guinea's northern borders and that he is convinced that 
every child traveling to Mali and Senegal for Koranic studies is 
being trafficked for exploitation.  Mr. Bakary also expressed his 
disappointment that the Prefect in Sangaredi released the alleged 
trafficker without conducting a full investigation. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶9. (SBU) Guinean authorities are struggling with differentiating 
child trafficking from kidnapping.  The issue of parental consent 
only further confuses the issue, making it difficult to prosecute 
and investigate a trafficking incident.  It is unclear whether these 
examples represent actual trafficking cases, but they do illustrate 
the challenges faced by NGOs and authorities working to combat 
trafficking.  Asst Poloff will travel to both the Guinean-Senegalese 
and Guinean-Malian borders in the coming weeks to further 
investigate child trafficking issues on Guinea's northern border. 
END COMMENT. 
 
CARTER