DPP calls for intensified fight against human trafficking

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Director of Public Prosecution –DPP, Justice Jane Frances Abodo, has called for an intensified fight against human trafficking in order to save children and youth.

Abodo, was on Friday speaking at the launch of the Trafficking in Person Mobile App Platform (TIPMAP). She said that all stakeholders in the Justice Law and Order Sector, as well as the community, need to join forces in the fight against human trafficking.

TIPMAP is a live data visualization dashboard for human trafficking cases which Abodo said will serve as a pivotal information hub for various anti-trafficking entities and the public at large. “I pray that this platform would contribute significantly to the ongoing activities aimed at preventing and safeguarding both Ugandans and non-Ugandans from falling victim to trafficking,” Abodo said.

At least 20 Ugandans lose their lives in local and cross-border trafficking cases. The young girls locally trafficked as housemaids, barmaids, and sexual workers have often been killed by their employers.

While many who have been trafficked mostly in the Arab world have been subjected to illegal organ harvest and their bodies brought back with forged medical reports showing that they died of road crashes but such claims have been disproved after postmortems have been done at Mulago hospital.

“I reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to combat trafficking crimes by implementing record-keeping mechanisms and fostering information-sharing infrastructure. We need to enhance investigative and prosecution techniques to effectively address the pressing issue of human trafficking,” Abodo said.

The Minister for internal affairs, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, last year said Ugandan girls were being sold for organ harvest and later fed to crocodiles in countries like Thailand.

One of the shocking cases of cross-border human trafficking was of Milly Namazzi who was taken from Uganda to Saudi Arabia for work but her body was found in Egypt.

Julia Zabbu, the Programs Coordinator at the Human Trafficking Institute, said the live human trafficking data website, will provide comprehensive data analysis of different human trafficking cases, both at the national and international levels.

“The data will be frequently updated, offering an accurate overview of cases that have undergone the criminal justice system. I believe that the platform will encourage individuals to report cases, ultimately leading to the apprehension of perpetrators and the protection of victims, which is the primary goal of this initiative,” Zabbu said.

TIPMAP has been developed by a joint team from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Human Trafficking Institute (HTI). The two institutions believe the initiative will facilitate the collection and sharing of data pertaining to human trafficking investigations and prosecutions.

Nusura Kemigisa, the Trafficking in Person Liaison Officer for ODPP and Police Criminal Investigation Directorate, emphasized that the tool would be instrumental in analyzing data trends and devising effective intervention strategies to combat human trafficking.

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