Conakry — The Republic of Guinea has joined Liberia and Sierra Leone in calling for the urgent convening of a Special Mano River Union (MRU) Summit on Human Trafficking. The Guinean Government said that like Liberia and Sierra Leone, it too is overwhelmed with a high increase in human trafficking in their county.
The Guinean Minister of Labour and Public Service who is also the head of the Human Trafficking Taskforce, Mr. Julien Yombouno observed that whatever affects Liberia and Sierra Leone, equally affects Guinea and as such its urgent that the sub region respond to the threat as a bloc through the MRU. The Guinean Labor Minister was speaking in Conakry as welcomed the Liberian Labor Minister Cllr. Charles Gibson on the start of his two days official visit to Guinea. He thank the Liberian Labour Minister for the initiative in building a consensus with member states of the MRU for the convening of a Special Summit, describing it as urgent and necessary.
Earlier during the day Minister Charles Gibson and delegation was formal received at a special program organized at the Guinean Ministry of Foreign Affairs during which the Acting Foreign Minister assured Ĺiberia of the Guinean Government fullest cooperation and support to curbing Human Trafficking any promoting peace, security and solidarity within the MRU sub-region.
Also later during the day Cllr. Charles Gibson held bilateral talks with the Deputy Minister, who is also Acting Minister of Justice of the Republic of Guinean. There in welcoming Liberia’s Labor Minister he was assured of Guinea commitment the fight against human Trafficking and support for the convening of a special MRU submit on Human Trafficking. The Guinean Deputy Minister of Justice informed Minister Gibson and delegation that Guinea has many platforms that are geared towards the fight against human trafficking and other abuses mainly against children and women. Madame MmeThiam Irene added that the borders are difficult to control as it relates to the movement of people, but promised to work alongside other MRU Countries to find ways to curtail the illegal movement of people and the operations of criminal network and agents. She disclosed that the notorious criminal group Q-NET is also responsible for many of the problems there with regards to human trafficking and although Q-NET has been banned there it is still operating undercover.
The Guinean Authorities were speaking Monday, January 17, 2022 in Conakry, when the Chairman of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce of Liberia, Labour Minister Cllr. Charles H. Gibson met with Guinean officials on his visit to Guinea to build consensus for the convening of a Special MRU Summit on human trafficking. Hon. Minister Gibson called for harmonization of laws on human trafficking in the Mano River Union (MRU), sub-region as means consolidating the fight against human trafficking.
Minister Gibson said that Liberia and Sierra Leone have reached the conclusion that as long as human trafficking is not put under control by MRU Countries, no one country is free from the menace and as such, it is necessary to approach this fight as a bloc, noting that the borders are open, people are traveling and therefore, we must work together to solve this problem.
He said that the summit will also help to build other cooperation in fighting crime, illegal migration as well as revolting those things in the society of MRU Countries to decrease poverty.
He said as MRU gets interesting in human trafficking issues, there is a need to address why people are taking the risk to move.
He informed his counterparts that he has paid similar official visit to the Republic of Sierra Leone during which time it was observer that over the last few months, there have been an increase wave of human trafficking in the sub region and that all countries are experiencing same wave. He said that Liberia Court Dockets are overwhelmed with cases human trafficking cases mainly of citizens from the sub region.
Minister Gibson told his counterparts that H. E. President of Guinea is the current Chairman of the MRU and as such, it is good that Guinea plays a leading role in making decisions within the MRU, especially as it relates to sharing of experiences, strategy and programs that will be used to solve this menace. He said that the United Nations office for Migration, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and International Development Law Organization (IDLO) have expressed interest in working with the MRU for the summit. He said that the President of the Republic of Liberia, H. E. Dr. George M. Weah has promised to host the special summit and as such, hopes that those consultations will arrive at a consensus.
Source: FrontPageAfrica