Human trafficking in Angola
Encyclopedia
Angola
is a source and destination country for men, women, and children
subjected to trafficking in persons
, specifically conditions of forced prostitution
and forced labor. Internally, trafficking victims are forced to labor in agriculture, construction, domestic servitude, and reportedly in artisanal diamond mines
. Angolan women and children more often become victims of internal rather than transnational sex trafficking. Women and children are trafficked to South Africa
, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC), Namibia
, and European nations, primarily Portugal
. Traffickers take boys to Namibia for forced labor
in cattle herding. Children are also forced to act as couriers in illegal cross-border trade between Namibia and Angola as part of a scheme to skirt import fees. Illegal migrants from the DRC voluntarily enter Angola's diamond-mining districts, where some are later reportedly subjected to forced labor or prostitution in the mining camps.
The Government of Angola is making significant efforts to combat trafficking. The government has educated the public about the dangers of trafficking in Angola, amended its Constitution
to specifically prohibit human trafficking, and maintained its level of funding for anti-trafficking activities despite a significant drop in national revenue and subsequent cuts to its national budget. The government has taken some proactive steps to prevent human trafficking during an international soccer tournament, identified trafficking victims, trained more counter-trafficking investigators and agents, and increased enforcement at key trafficking border crossings. Trafficking offenders, however, are rarely if ever prosecuted, and services for victims remain minimal.
, through which it provided for the training of police officers, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, NGOs, and stakeholders in trafficking awareness and effective measures to counter trafficking. At the local level, police and military
officials have been implicated
in facilitating the illegal entry of foreigners into the diamond-mining provinces of Lunda North and Lunda South, some of whom reportedly become victims of forced labor or prostitution in the mining camps. The UN Joint Human Rights Office reported in May 2009 that Congolese officials broke up a sex trafficking ring that had "sold" more than 30 trafficked women and girls to Angolan military personnel in Cabinda
province. Despite this, no investigations or prosecutions of officials for complicity in human trafficking were reported.
, civil society
, and international organizations to protect and assist victims of trafficking; authorities identified and referred 33 victims of labor trafficking to care providers in the last three months of 2009. NGOs credit this recent increase in the number of identified victims with more public awareness and better reporting, rather than an increase in the occurrence of trafficking in Angola. In partnership with UNICEF, the government's National Children's Council (INAC) continued to operate 18 Child Protection Networks (CPNs), which serve as crisis "SOS Centers" for victims of trafficking and other crimes who are between the ages of 9 and 16. There were no apparent victim services available for child victims under the age of nine. The CPNs offered rescue services, health, legal and social assistance, and family reunification. Government personnel referred an unspecified number of suspected victims over the age of 16 to shelters and services provided by the Organization of Angolan Women (OMA), an NGO that receives government support. Law enforcement, immigration, and social services personnel do not have a formal system of proactively identifying victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they come in contact. The government does not offer victims long-term assistance, nor does it offer temporary or permanent residency
to foreign victims of trafficking. Draft anti-trafficking legislation
currently includes provisions to provide foreign trafficking victims with the same kind of social assistance, residence, and legal protection provided to asylum
seekers. Under Angolan law, victims of sex trafficking may bring criminal charges against their traffickers, but may not seek compensation. The law does, however, provide for compensation to victims of forced or bonded labor. Current laws do not provide legal alternatives to the removal
of foreign victims to countries where they may face hardship or retribution, or relief from prosecution for crimes committed as a direct result of being trafficked.
, English, and French
. The MOI hired a private sector consultant to help develop its counter-trafficking strategy for CAN 2010, and sought technical assistance from Interpol
and the Governments of Germany, Portugal, Brazil, and South Africa. The MOI also coordinated with IOM to provide counter-trafficking training to officials from INAC and the Ministries of Ministry of Social Assistance and Reintegration, Justice, and Foreign Affairs. In partnership with IOM and the Embassy of Norway in Luanda, the MOI funded and distributed trafficking awareness pamphlets targeted to vulnerable populations. The Association of Women's Police Officers trained other police officers to recognize child traffickers and exploiters in preparation for the CAN 2010 games. As part of its anti-trafficking campaign during the CAN 2010, the government made some efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts, particularly child prostitution. Angola is not a party to the 2000 UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children
.
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
is a source and destination country for men, women, and children
Trafficking of children
Trafficking of children is a form of human trafficking. It is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receiving of children for the purpose of exploitation....
subjected to trafficking in persons
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
, specifically conditions of forced prostitution
Forced prostitution
Forced prostitution, also known as involuntary prostitution, is the act of performing sexual activity in exchange for money on a non-voluntary basis. There are a wide range of entry routes into prostitution, ranging from "voluntary and deliberate" entry, "semi-voluntary" based on pressure of...
and forced labor. Internally, trafficking victims are forced to labor in agriculture, construction, domestic servitude, and reportedly in artisanal diamond mines
Mining in Angola
Mining in Angola is an activity with great economic potential since the country has one of the largest and most diversified mining resources of Africa...
. Angolan women and children more often become victims of internal rather than transnational sex trafficking. Women and children are trafficked to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
(DRC), Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, and European nations, primarily Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Traffickers take boys to Namibia for forced labor
Child labor
Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
in cattle herding. Children are also forced to act as couriers in illegal cross-border trade between Namibia and Angola as part of a scheme to skirt import fees. Illegal migrants from the DRC voluntarily enter Angola's diamond-mining districts, where some are later reportedly subjected to forced labor or prostitution in the mining camps.
The Government of Angola is making significant efforts to combat trafficking. The government has educated the public about the dangers of trafficking in Angola, amended its Constitution
Constitution of Angola
There have been two Constitutions of Angola. The first came into force in 1975 as an "interim" measure; the second was approved in 1992, and the third one in 2010.- 1975 Constitution :...
to specifically prohibit human trafficking, and maintained its level of funding for anti-trafficking activities despite a significant drop in national revenue and subsequent cuts to its national budget. The government has taken some proactive steps to prevent human trafficking during an international soccer tournament, identified trafficking victims, trained more counter-trafficking investigators and agents, and increased enforcement at key trafficking border crossings. Trafficking offenders, however, are rarely if ever prosecuted, and services for victims remain minimal.
Prosecution
Angola does not have a law that specifically prohibits all forms of trafficking in persons, though the new Constitution promulgated on February 5, 2010 prohibits the trafficking in humans and organs. The Penal Code has not yet been amended to reflect these provisions in a way which would allow officials to enforce them against trafficking offenders. Articles 390-395 of the Penal Code prohibit forced prostitution and forced or bonded labor, prescribing penalties of two to eight years' imprisonment, which are commensurate with penalties prescribed for other serious offenses. Statistics on investigations or criminal convictions are not made publicly available. The government has strengthened its partnership with the International Organization for MigrationInternational Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....
, through which it provided for the training of police officers, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, NGOs, and stakeholders in trafficking awareness and effective measures to counter trafficking. At the local level, police and military
Military of Angola
The Angolan Armed Forces are the military in Angola that succeeded Forças Armadas de Libertação de Angola following the abortive Bicesse Accord with UNITA in 1991. As part of the peace agreement, troops from both armies were to be demilitarized and then integrated. Integration was never completed...
officials have been implicated
Corruption in Angola
Corruption in Angola is a pervasive phenomenon, hindering economic growth and government-sponsored liberalization programs.-1970s and 1980s:The Soviet press, despite the close relationship between Angola and the USSR, accused the ruling MPLA party of clientelism, corruption, and nepotism, accusing...
in facilitating the illegal entry of foreigners into the diamond-mining provinces of Lunda North and Lunda South, some of whom reportedly become victims of forced labor or prostitution in the mining camps. The UN Joint Human Rights Office reported in May 2009 that Congolese officials broke up a sex trafficking ring that had "sold" more than 30 trafficked women and girls to Angolan military personnel in Cabinda
Cabinda
Cabinda may refer to:*Cabinda Province, an exclave and Province of Angola*Cabinda , the administrative capital of Cabinda Province*Republic of Cabinda, self-proclaimed government which claims sovereignty over Cabinda...
province. Despite this, no investigations or prosecutions of officials for complicity in human trafficking were reported.
Protection
The Government of Angola has sustained modest efforts to ensure that victims of trafficking received access to assistance. The government continues to rely heavily upon religiousReligion in Angola
Angola is a majority Christian country. There exist about 1000 religious communities in the country . Roman Catholics constitute about half of the population...
, civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
, and international organizations to protect and assist victims of trafficking; authorities identified and referred 33 victims of labor trafficking to care providers in the last three months of 2009. NGOs credit this recent increase in the number of identified victims with more public awareness and better reporting, rather than an increase in the occurrence of trafficking in Angola. In partnership with UNICEF, the government's National Children's Council (INAC) continued to operate 18 Child Protection Networks (CPNs), which serve as crisis "SOS Centers" for victims of trafficking and other crimes who are between the ages of 9 and 16. There were no apparent victim services available for child victims under the age of nine. The CPNs offered rescue services, health, legal and social assistance, and family reunification. Government personnel referred an unspecified number of suspected victims over the age of 16 to shelters and services provided by the Organization of Angolan Women (OMA), an NGO that receives government support. Law enforcement, immigration, and social services personnel do not have a formal system of proactively identifying victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they come in contact. The government does not offer victims long-term assistance, nor does it offer temporary or permanent residency
Permanent residency
Permanent residency refers to a person's visa status: the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country of which he or she is not a citizen. A person with such status is known as a permanent resident....
to foreign victims of trafficking. Draft anti-trafficking legislation
National Assembly of Angola
The National Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of Angola.The National Assembly is a unicameral body, with 220 members: 130 members elected by proportional representation and 90 members elected by provincial districts. Theoretically, the Assembly sits for a four-year term...
currently includes provisions to provide foreign trafficking victims with the same kind of social assistance, residence, and legal protection provided to asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
seekers. Under Angolan law, victims of sex trafficking may bring criminal charges against their traffickers, but may not seek compensation. The law does, however, provide for compensation to victims of forced or bonded labor. Current laws do not provide legal alternatives to the removal
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
of foreign victims to countries where they may face hardship or retribution, or relief from prosecution for crimes committed as a direct result of being trafficked.
Prevention
The Angolan government has made modest efforts to prevent trafficking. High-ranking Ministry of Interior (MOI) and other officials have made public statements condemning trafficking and raised awareness of the issue. In October 2009, the government conducted and partially funded, in concert with IOM, a national conference on the prevention of human trafficking in preparation for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations football tournament (CAN 2010), which Angola hosted in January 2010. The MOI, in partnership with IOM, ran a soccer-themed public awareness campaign entitled "Drop the Red Flag on Human Trafficking", featuring flyers and billboards in PortuguesePortuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, English, and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. The MOI hired a private sector consultant to help develop its counter-trafficking strategy for CAN 2010, and sought technical assistance from Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
and the Governments of Germany, Portugal, Brazil, and South Africa. The MOI also coordinated with IOM to provide counter-trafficking training to officials from INAC and the Ministries of Ministry of Social Assistance and Reintegration, Justice, and Foreign Affairs. In partnership with IOM and the Embassy of Norway in Luanda, the MOI funded and distributed trafficking awareness pamphlets targeted to vulnerable populations. The Association of Women's Police Officers trained other police officers to recognize child traffickers and exploiters in preparation for the CAN 2010 games. As part of its anti-trafficking campaign during the CAN 2010, the government made some efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts, particularly child prostitution. Angola is not a party to the 2000 UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children
The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children is a protocol to the Convention against Transnational Organised Crime...
.