Sudan launches 3-year plan to combat human trafficking

Khartoum, Sudan | Xinhua | Sudan on Monday launched a three-year national action plan to combat human trafficking from 2021 to 2023.

The plan was launched by Sudan’s National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking during a ceremony held in Khartoum.

When addressing the launching ceremony, Sudanese Justice Minister Nasreddin Abdel Bari said that this country “must provide protection and equality for humans, focusing on legal measures and intensifying cooperation among justice bodies.”

He vowed to work to achieve further progress in the field of combating human trafficking, stressing that the new Sudan is committed to safeguarding human dignity.

For his part, Robert van den Dool, head of the European Union (EU) delegation to Sudan, said that Sudan has made considerable efforts in combating human trafficking, including investigation, the trial of human traffickers and protection of victims.

He further vowed that the EU would support Sudan’s efforts in the field of combating human trafficking.

The three-year action plan tends to enable the national institutions to facilitate safe and legal immigration and combat illegal immigration with a focus on protection and expansion of livelihood opportunities.

Sudan has recently been witnessing increasing organized groups involved in these activities, particularly in eastern Sudan on the border with Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Khartoum says it is maintaining high-level coordination with other African countries including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, as well as European countries such as Italy, Spain, France and Britain to tackle the problem.

In June 2018, the United States decided to upgrade Sudan on the U.S. human trafficking list from tier 3 of countries violating the standards to tier 2 of watch list countries.

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Xinhua