Human trafficking in the Republic of the Congo

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In 2009, The Republic of the Congo (ROC) was a destination and transit country for children subjected to trafficking in persons for the purposes of forced labor and forced prostitution. Most sources agreed that up to 80 percent of all trafficked children originated from Benin, with girls comprising 90 percent of that group.^[1] Togo, Mali, Guinea, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Senegal were also sources of victims found in the Congolese Republic. Internally trafficked children represented 10 percent of all child victims, the majority of which originated from the Pool region. Many child victims were subjected to forced labor, including in domestic work, market vending and fishing; girls were also exploited in the sex trade. Child victims generally experienced harsh treatment, long work hours, and almost no access to education or health services; they received little or no remuneration for their work. Other village children, however, lived voluntarily with extended relatives in cities, attend school, and did housework in exchange for food, in a traditional cultural and familial pattern that id not entail abuse.^[1]

In 2009 the Government of the Republic of the Congo did not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it made significant efforts to do so, despite limited resources. The Senate passed the Child Protection Code in August 2009, which prescribes penalties for trafficking offenders; this law is pending Presidential signature. The government also developed and began implementation of a national anti-trafficking action plan, and the Ministry of Labor investigated nine new cases of child trafficking in 2009. However, eight prosecutions based on child trafficking charges filed one or two years ago remained pending and did not come to conclusion or result in convictions. The government did not identify trafficking victims in 2009. Most of the government’s anti-trafficking activities remain dependent on international donor funding.^[1]

The U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 3" in 2017.^[2] The country was on the Tier 2 Watch List in 2023.^[3]