African Heads of States Challenged About Human Trafficking in the Sinai

African Heads of States Challenged About Human Trafficking in the Sinai

Heads of State of Burundi, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda and Ethiopia met at the second High Level Forum on Security in Africa held in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia last week.

The two day forum (Tana Forum) brought together over eighty government officials, civil society organizations and think tanks to explore African owned solutions to the continent’s peace and security challenges under the themes of “Security and Organized Crime in Africa”. Issues addressed included drug and arms trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, extortion, piracy, poaching, illegal mining, terrorism, extremism and regime destabilization.

Sharing her experience and expertise in the struggle against human trafficking in the region was Ms Meron Estifanos, Eritrean human rights activist and journalist with the diaspora based Radio Erena. In a moving presentation focusing on the narrative of a young victim of trafficking who died leaving her toddler son, in the hands of her abductors; Meron challenged every head of state present to respond to the plight of countless victims and address this shameful issue taking place in the region.

In his own presentation President Omer Hassan al-Bashir admitted that the concern is indeed a grave one that requires urgent attention. For his part president Paul Kagame also made a personal commitment to highlighting this concern at the UN Security Council, over the coming few months.

In his closing remarks Chief Olesegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, reflected on Meron’s presentation and urged participants and particularly heads of states to respond and do their best to address and eradicate human trafficking as a matter of urgency and certainly by the time the Forum meets next.

Reflecting on the occasion Meron said: ‘I talked about the one case, out of the many thousands I have come across, that touched me the most; the story of Selam who for many months kept asking me about International Human Rights Agencies and the role of the International community, unfortunately this may be too little too late for her, but I sincerely hope that her story will stay with the leaders and urge them to address this issue that has blighted the lives of thousands of Eritrean young people’ 

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