A representative of the Ministry of Justice, yesterday, during the workshop on Mobilizing Resources to Eradicate Trafficking for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation of Girls and Women in the Gold Mining Sector in Kédougou, organized by Free the Slaves, Amadou Séga Keïta, explained the challenges associated with this fight. He called for increased resources and judicial cooperation to ensure protection and justice for victims, while highlighting the porous nature of borders, the vulnerability of victims, and the slow pace of judicial proceedings.

 

 

What are the main challenges faced by the Ministry of Justice in the fight against human trafficking in Kédougou?

 

We face multifaceted challenges. Kédougou is a border region with Mali and Guinea, with long and porous borders. Political instability in these countries, as well as the phenomenon of terrorism, pushes many young people to seek opportunities elsewhere. Criminal networks take advantage of these vulnerabilities to exploit girls and boys in activities such as prostitution and drug trafficking in gold mining sites. There are almost 19 nationalities flocking to the Kédougou region today, coming from diverse backgrounds, not just African countries. Examples include Australia, Korea, and more everywhere.

 

How do these networks operate in practice?

 

They lure young people with false promises of salaries or trips to Europe or the United States. And some come to search for gold. They are led to believe that they can earn quite high salaries, three times more than in your country. The networks don't tell the truth. Once there, they remove their identity papers and force the girls into prostitution and the boys into selling drugs. The victims then become vulnerable and depend entirely on the networks to survive, which greatly complicates the work of justice. They tell them: "We have spent enough for your trip, we may even have given funds to your families while you wait for your return. We also hope that, given our increasing expenses, you will really have to commit to doing some work for us while you continue your journey."

What are the difficulties in the judicial processing of these cases?

 

Victims are often the key witnesses. If they disappear before or during the investigation, it becomes impossible to effectively prosecute the perpetrators. Reception centers must therefore be able to protect and accommodate them throughout the legal process. The slow pace of investigations and the lack of international cooperation also hinder effective action. This is why, in most cases, investigations often fail.

 

What can the ministry do to improve the situation?

 

We must strengthen the financial and administrative capacities of reception centers, improve judicial cooperation between countries, and ensure strict monitoring of investigations. It is crucial that defense and security forces be able to place members of the networks in custody to ensure that victims remain available to testify and that justice is truly served. It is also necessary for those involved in the investigation, the gendarmerie, the police, and public prosecutors, to truly establish the guilt of the accused, to establish it in a sufficiently justified and sufficiently clear manner.

 

What message would you like to send to partners and the public?

 

Human dignity is sacred and violated in Kédougou. It is urgent that all stakeholders, both government and technical partners, commit to protecting victims and dismantling criminal networks. The fight against human trafficking requires a coordinated, effective, and rapid response.