Government to hold conference on human trafficking in Eastern Sudan

November 2, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese presidential aide Monday announced the organization of a large conference on human trafficking and illegal migration, in collaboration with local community leaders in Kassala and El-Gadaref states in Eastern Sudan.

Sudan is considered as an origin as well as transit country for the illegal migrants and human trafficking. Thousands of people from Eritrea and Ethiopia are monthly crossing the border into the Sudanese territories on their way to Europe through Libya or Egypt.

After a meeting with the community leaders in Kassala state which borders Eritrea, presidential assistant Musa Mohamed Ahmed told reporters that the efforts of community leaders are very important to combat the human trafficking and illegal migration.

Ahmed further said that they agreed in their Monday’s meeting to unify community and security efforts to combat the human trafficking.

However he didn’t set a specific date for the beginning of the conference.

Sudan will participate in the international conference of human trafficking and illegal immigration due to take place on 11 and 12 November in Malta.

The conference will build on existing cooperation processes between Europe and Africa, particularly the Khartoum and Rabat processes on migration, and the EU-Africa Dialogue on Migration and Mobility.

Last month, the EU envoys in Sudan have visited Eastern Sudanese state of hKassala and meet with the local Sudanese official on the issues of human trafficking.

The EU is focused on strengthening the capacities of Sudanese authorities in charge of combating human trafficking.

Late last year, Khartoum hosted a conference on human trafficking in the Horn of Africa, organized by the African Union (AU), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Sudanese government.

In January 2014, the Sudanese parliament approved an anti-human trafficking law which punishes those involved with human trafficking with up to 20 years imprisonment.

(ST)