Combating Trafficking in Persons in Cameroon

In 2009, the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) completed its Combating Trafficking in Persons (TIP) program in Cameroon. ABA ROLI's program was successful in developing training materials on prosecuting human trafficking cases for police, immigration officers, prosecutors, and judges, and in generating greater interest in preventing human trafficking among current and potential stakeholders, both within the government and among non-governmental organizations. As a result of ABA ROLI’s efforts, training academies for police and prosecutors incorporated a training module on trafficking in their curriculum. Also, local partners reported that certain cases that were previously not considered to be human trafficking cases were then recognized as such and were being prosecuted.

Human trafficking is a crime that requires coordinated action by numerous actors. While the police must identify and arrest human traffickers, prosecutors must pursue cases while ensuring that victims’ rights are respected. In many cases, these victims will need both material and psychological assistance to recover from their experiences, or even to testify. To ensure that each party along the intervention chain is effective, ABA ROLI promoted a multi-institutional response to combating TIP. After convening a conference at which law enforcement officials, members of the legal community, non-governmental organizations, and representatives of various ministries each described their respective roles in fighting TIP, anti-human trafficking efforts were strengthened by identifying areas for increased coordination. This increased coordination was maintained throughout the program through an anti-trafficking working group. This working group's goal was to create a roadmap for anti-trafficking efforts that takes account of key stakeholders' ideas and reservations. 

ABA ROLI completed a comprehensive anti-human trafficking reference manual that analyzes the trafficking phenomenon in Cameroon and highlights the mechanisms available for combating it. In devising the manual, ABA ROLI received input from, and approval by, constituents within the ranks of the police, the judiciary, civil society, and key ministries. This manual was successfully incorporated into training programs at various government training schools and will continue to serve as a reference tool for anti-trafficking stakeholders in Cameroon. The manual detailed the provisions and procedures of the 2005 child trafficking law, but significant emphasis was also placed on alternative methods of prosecution. ABA ROLI provided information on the international statutes prohibiting trafficking which are applicable under Cameroonian law. Furthermore, traffickers typically break a significant number of conventional laws because of their business. Thus, ABA ROLI detailed the bars of evidence and criminal procedures for prosecuting traffickers under such crimes as rape, kidnapping, battery, and child neglect. The goal of this manual was to provide prosecutorial options. Those seeking to convict traffickers will have ready access to a portfolio of criminal offences, and standards of evidence, under which to convict traffickers.

To assist the government of Cameroon in identifying trafficking cases and in successfully convicting human traffickers, ABA ROLI held training sessions for law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, and judges. ABA ROLI held workshops for officers from the International Criminal Police Organization; the military police; and the provincial, judicial, and border police on the role of law enforcement in combating TIP. The goal of the workshops, which focused on improving practical skills through actual case analyses and participatory exercises, was to increase the capacity of trainees to identify and investigate TIP cases. The sessions were two-fold, first describing both the characteristics of trafficking and techniques for identifying traffickers and second target audience participation. For police and immigration officers, the emphasis was placed on investigating trafficking cases. ABA ROLI drew on its extensive experience in this area, having engaged in long term police training projects in Kenya and Nigeria. For prosecutors and judges, the sessions emphasized the legal dimension of trafficking. ABA ROLI utilized the reference manual in describing the legal options in prosecuting traffickers.

ABA ROLI also held training sessions for magistrates, prosecutors, and judges to increase their capacity to adjudicate TIP cases. Among the participants were the president of the High Court and the presidents of the Court of Appeals and divisional courts. The workshops provided an overview of the human trafficking phenomenon in Cameroon and neighboring countries, discussed relevant national and international laws, and highlighted the role of legal professionals in preventing and prosecuting TIP.