Most victims of human trafficking in the country are taken into forced marriage, labour and prostitution, Police said yesterday.

Speaking at a news briefing, ACP Tony Kuramba, the deputy commissioner of Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and director of Interpol-Rwanda, said the majority of the victims were taken to Uganda and Asia.

"In most cases, these victims of human trafficking are taken for forced marriage, prostitution and forced labour, we have heard cases in China, Malaysia, Thailand and Dubai, and we are following them closely,” Kuramba said during a media briefing on the forthcoming national dialogue on human trafficking at Parliament Buildings yesterday.

The dialogue, at which First Lady Jeannette Kagame is expected to officiate, is slated for tomorrow in Kigali.

Kuramba said 153 cases of human trafficking were registered since 2009, with some of them involving traffickers who use Rwanda as a transit route for victims heading to other countries.

He cited 50 victims who were destined for Bangladeshi but were rescued in Kigali and reunited with their families.

The majority of the victims are girls below the age of 35.

"Up to 138 people have been rescued, with some 86 that were destined for Uganda,” Kuramba added.

At least 15 trafficking cases are yet to be solved, but investigations are ongoing, according to Kuramba.

"Others were going to Mozambique, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates (Dubai), Zambia and Malawi. These are the main destinations where trafficking victims are taken,” he added, describing human trafficking as modern form of slave trade.

"We will do everything possible to curb the vice,” the Interpol-Rwanda chief said.

Kuramba said it is possible that some victims are killed and their body organs removed for sale or ritual interests.

Policymakers join the fight

Parliament, together with responsible ministries and Police, will tomorrow conduct a one-day dialogue aimed at devising measures to curb human trafficking.

Donatile Mukabalisa, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, told journalists that authorities have always fought human trafficking.

"However, there is a need to inform everyone that the vice is real, and the fight should be global,” she said.

"Human trafficking, gender-based violence are crimes against humanity. We should have common understanding of the laws, together with a common strategy that would see this vice completely eliminated,” Mukabalisa added.

Human tracking attracts term of imprisonment of seven years to 10 years and a fine of Rwf5 million to Rwf10 million, or both, under Article 252 of the Penal Code.

The Minister for Gender and Family Promotion, Oda Gasinzigwa, said tomorrow’s meeting will look into the possible mechanisms to curb the vice, but also explore to possible issues that would come up as the consequences of human trafficking, like GBV, drug abuse, among other vices that demean national values.

"There are measures already in place to fight the vice but we want to put in more efforts to address the problem once and for all,” Gasinzigwa said.

Rosemary Mbabazi, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth and ICT, said the fact that it is mostly the youth who are affected causes a big concern.

The youth

Seventy-eight per cent of Rwanda’s population falls below the youth category (between the ages of 18 and 35).

"We are aware that the majority of the victims are young girls who are seduced to either drop out of school on false promise of good jobs, some are orphans and hence vulnerable,” Mbabazi said.

She outlined Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and child care reforms intended to reintegrate orphans into families among the measures being employed to address the problem.

The government has introduced various platforms intended to engage youth into productive ventures.

Among them is Kora Wigire, the annual employment forum aimed at providing a platform for interaction and integration of diverse ideas among the youth.

Police say fighting human trafficking is still hindered by lack of adequate information, and, therefore, continue to urge the public to cooperate in prevention, restriction as well as rescue of the victims.