Human Trafficking an URGENT Human Rights matter in the African continent.

The African continent’s strategic framework towards ‘The Africa We Want’ is expressed in AGENDA 2063. This is a master plan and blueprint to transform Africa into a global power house. Agenda 2063 is a holistic framework which details 7 Aspirations which encapsulates every area which aims to refocus the continent’s trajectory and reprioritize Africa’s social and economic development as well as democratic governance, peace and security amongst other issues. Of interest to this article is Aspiration 3 and 4 of Agenda 2063. They emphasise on the commitment towards An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law and A Peaceful and Secure Africa respectively. The peace and security of the African continent is vital in ensuring the protection of its democracy and human rights agenda towards social and economic sustainable development. Should this peace and security be threatened, then restoring peace should be made a priority to stay on track of Agenda 2063. Of late, the African continent has been infiltrated by well-structured criminal enterprises ran by well woven syndicates. Africa is largely known as a source and transit of Human Trafficking with few countries being a destination. The continent accounts for over 23% of the global trafficking victims https://borgenproject.org/human-trafficking-in-africa/ .

The call therefore is an URGENT one to prioritise issues of Human Trafficking within member states and to declare it a human rights issue. It is imperative that there is a deliberate commitment by the African Leaders to ensure that member states effectively align laws and policy to the Parlemo Protocol and monitor to ensure efficient implementation. A notable increase in political will and a deliberate execution of policy will definitely ensure that Agenda 2063 particularly Aspiration 3 and 4 become a reality for every country within the African continent. Human Trafficking is a criminal enterprise that is well organized just like a business which rests upon a positive cost benefit analysis. It considers above all else the profits it can make from the endeavor, the accessibility to potential victims, location, and the time at which they are at most vulnerable, the appropriate way that could provide an entry with ease and how to protect their criminal activities from criminal justice authorities and other capable guardians and security personnel. It directly violates basic fundamental human rights particularly the right to human dignity, the right to personal security, freedom from slavery or servitude inter alia.

The obvious silence on its operations within Africa directly guarantees a very low probability of arrest, prosecution and punishment. The peace and security of any country is threatened by this. Human Trafficking is a human rights issue and the agenda of Africa and any African country ought to prioritize it to ensure that human rights, democracy, peace and security are strengthened.