Freetown to host African Conference on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling

All Africa Media Network (AAMN), the Council of African Elders and Women Intercultural Dialogue and Global Africans Against Slavery, has slated Freetown the capital of Sierra Leone as venue of the African Conference on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling from 29th to 31st of July 2022.

The event themed We Are All Born Free;Assessing the Economic, Cultural, Social and Political Intricacies Sponsoring Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling in Today’s Africa,  is being held in commemoration of the 2022 UN Day Against Trafficking of Persons, and will bring to bear the results of the over five-year deliberations of the African Elders and Women Intercultural Dialogue (AEWID) that started in April 2017.

“As concluded from findings of the reports of our previous dialogues, it has become necessary to hold a continental deliberation on the subject matter, of which conclusions would be drawn, to serve as the catalyst for charting the blueprint to eliminate trafficking and its concomitant hazards totally in our society.” Cookey Iwuoha the Project Coordinator said.

Vital African voices have continually participated at the dialogue, the 2021 Dialogue which took place virtually as part of the UN Commission on the Status of Women event had first lady of Sierra Leone Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio as a special guest.

The former Vice President of the Gambia, Her Excellency Mrs. Fatoumata Jallow and wife of former Vice President of Nigeria, Amina Titi Abubakar, co-chaired the 2018 Dialogue in Abuja. While Ambassador Dr. Erieka Bennett of Diaspora Africa Forum and Carl Ampah of UNESCO Ghana chaired the Accra Dialogue in 2017.

Institutions like UNESCO, UNWomen, African Women Development Fund (AWDF), West African Women Association (WAWA) an aegis of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), National Agency For Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons Nigeria (NAPTIP) ,Global African Sheroes Union (GASU)and more, collaborated with AAMN in the success of the previous dialogues.

“We chose Freetown for its symbolism to the struggle, as a city founded by abolitionists in 1792. The name Freetown is an invitation of hope for the people trapped in modern day slavery.’’ Seestah Imahkus Njinga Ababio the director of the council of AEWID affirmed.

The event aims to generate at-least over $5 million US Dollars in direct investment to Sierra Leone economic sector from corporate investors being wooed by the organizers to the host nation, with incentives expected from Sierra Leonean government to motivate the effort, this culminates to one of the events action plan, to create jobs and curb the susceptibility of African youths to trafficking and irregular migration.

In addition to UN agencies, captains of industries, development experts, influence-rs, government leaders, law makers and activists across the continent are expected to participate at the event.