Child trafficking in Guinea-Bissau An explorative study Jónína Einarsdóttir Hamadou Boiro Gunnlaugur Geirsson Geir Gunnlaugsson ERFISM HV ER M K U I Prentun: Oddi umhverfisvottuð prentsmiðja 141 776 PRENTGRIPUR Child trafficking in Guinea-Bissau An explorative study Authors Jónína Einarsdóttir, Ph.D. Professor of Anthropology Faculty of Social and Human Sciences University of Iceland Reykjavík, Iceland Hamadou Boiro, M.A., D.E.A. Anthropologist and Researcher INEP-Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisa Bissau, Guinea-Bissau Gunnlaugur Geirsson, B.A. M.A. student and Research Assistant Faculty of Law University of Iceland Reykjavík, Iceland Geir Gunnlaugsson, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. Paediatrician and Professor of Public Health School of Health and Education Reykjavík University Reykjavík, Iceland This publication was published with the support from UNICEF Iceland and UNICEF Guinea- Bissau. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy and views of UNICEF. Cover design by Gunnlaugur Geirsson. Photographs by the authors: pp. 17, 18, 21, 24, 26, 30, 34, 35, 36, 38, 43, 47, 62 and 66. Photographs by UNICEF/Pirozzi: pp. 14, 22, 60, 70 and 72. The photographs of children used in this report do not depict the trafficked children men- tioned in the text. ISBN 978-9979-70-776-9 Copyright © 2010 UNICEF Iceland UNICEF Iceland Laugavegur 42 IS - 101 Reykjavík All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may be freely used and copied for educa- tional and other non-commercial purposes, provided that any such reproduction is accom- panied by acknowledgment of UNICEF Iceland as the source. Abbreviations AMIC Amigos de Criança (“Friends of Children”), an NGO based in Guinea-Bissau AMWCY African Movement of Working Children and Youth CRC United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child CRCOPAC Optional Protocol to the CRC on the involvement of children in armed conflict CRCOPSC Optional Protocol to the CRC on the sale of children, child prosti- tution and child pornography ENDA-TM Environment and Development Action in the Third World, an in- ternational non-profit organization based in Dakar, Senegal FGM Female genital mutilation (Kriol: fanado) ILO International Labour Organization ILO-IPEC ILO International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour IMC Institute for Women and Children, governmental institute in Guinea-Bissau INEP Institute of Research and Studies, Guinea-Bissau IOM International Organization for Migration NGO Non-Governmental Organization UN United Nations UN Trafficking Protocol United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Traffick- ing in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund WHO World Health Organization III Glossary Adolescent Person between 10 and 17 years of age Almudu Fula word for someone who is seeking knowledge. It is synonymous with the word talibé in Wolof. Alouwal Fula word for Koranic tables Baloba Kapok tree where an ancestral spirit has settled Barké Fula word for the Arabic word baraka that signifies benediction. In Fula, the perception is that person who has barké will have success in every- thing he does. Bayda Fula word for the young almudu who has not yet finished his studies to recite the Koran. Bayda participate in begging. Child Article 1 of the CRC: “For the purpose of this present Convention, a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier” (see Hodgkin and Newell, 2007: 1-15). Clin-clin Boys from Guinea who work as shoe-shiners in Guinea-Bissau Dua Fula word for benediction Dua alouwal Important ceremony organized for children who have finished learning the Koran Dudal Fula word (in plural Dudé) for a traditional Koranic school, madilis, where children sit around the fire and recite the Koran Fakhman Wolof word for a group of children and adolescents who live on the streets in Senegal. They have broken off from their families, marabouts, schools and society in general. Madilis System of traditional Koranic teaching. In Guinea-Bissau the marabouts are the teachers and sessions are conducted in the open air with Koranic tablets. Madrassa School where children learn the Koran, Arabic and other subjects, for ex- ample, calculus and history Marabout Islamic religious leader and teacher Sanda Fula word for older almudu who have finished learning to recite the Koran and continue their studies in more depth. Sanda do not beg. Talibé Wolof word of Arabic origin, which refers to a student of the Koran, or someone who is seeking knowledge (see almudu) Topinéde Fula word for the ceremony organized for children when they start learn- ing the Koran. Trafficker Person who engages in trafficking in persons (as defined by the UN Traf- ficking Protocol) IV V Contents Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... ii Glossary ........................................................................................................................ iii Contents ....................................................................................................................... iv Executive summary ..................................................................................................... v Introduction ................................................................................................................. 11 Background and methodology ................................................................................... 15 Timeframe ............................................................................................................... 15 Settings .................................................................................................................... 16 Data collection ........................................................................................................ 20 Results .......................................................................................................................... 23 Felupe ...................................................................................................................... 23 Balanta ..................................................................................................................... 24 Papel, Manchanha and Manjaco ............................................................................ 26 Mandinga, Biafada and Balanta Mané .................................................................. 28 Nalu .......................................................................................................................... 29 Fula ........................................................................................................................... 31 Parents’ point of view ........................................................................................ 32 The marabouts’ point of view ........................................................................... 34 Suffering, begging and knowledge .................................................................. 36 Sources of conflict ............................................................................................. 37 Former almudus and repatriation..................................................................... 40 Fakhman .................................................................................................................. 42 Clin-clin .................................................................................................................... 43 Regional authorities ................................................................................................ 44 Trafficking ........................................................................................................... 44 Abuse .................................................................................................................. 45 Court cases ......................................................................................................... 46 Institutions and NGOs ............................................................................................ 47 Guinea-Bissau .................................................................................................... 50 Senegal ............................................................................................................... 52 Identifying children for repatriation ...................................................................... 55 Concept of trafficking .............................................................................................. 55 Prevention ............................................................................................................... 58 Discussion .................................................................................................................... 61 Determinants ........................................................................................................... 61 Consequences ......................................................................................................... 64 Concept of trafficking .............................................................................................. 66 Preventive measures .............................................................................................. 67 Conclusions