By KT Reporter
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has trained police and local leaders to prevent the trafficking of persons in the Karamoja sub-region.
The training targeted the police officers in the CID, DPCs, Community Liaison Officers, Crime Intelligence, and RPC while the district officials comprised Probation officers, Community development officers, religious leaders, and media.
They were trained on Monday on the basic information, education, and communication materials that can be used to sensitize the public, especially in the prevention, protection, and partnership with other stakeholders engaged in minimizing human trafficking cases and raising awareness.
Local leaders, partners, police, and religious leaders were equipped with strategies for the prevention of trafficking in persons and informed about migration practices.
Memory Rukuna, the community liaison officer for the coordination office of prevention and trafficking in persons at the Ministry of Internal Affairs said that they have enhanced the understanding among the leaders and other key actors on how to identify, protect, and make referrals of victims of trafficking while applying the National Referral Guidelines in the prevention of trafficking in person.
Rukuna noted that they have also strengthened and synchronized referral guidelines in the prevention of trafficking in persons, and promoted mechanisms for the empowerment and protection of potential victims of trafficking.
He observed that Karamoja has been a hot spot of trafficking in persons and they thought it wise to equip the officers with the skills on how to prevent the vice.
Rukuna said that they have informed the officers about the laws and policies present in Uganda so they can use them for prosecutions. He noted that the officers have been ignoring some of the policies that are crucial in the fight against vice. He explained that fighting human trafficking can be done through prevention, prosecution, and protection.
Patrick Odongo, the Mt Moroto regional community liaison officer said that the training is very important because it has enabled them to understand the basics of child labour.
Odongo said that they are ready to implement the skills acquired as far as fighting human trafficking is concerned. He noted that child trafficking remains the biggest challenge in the region that they are working hard to get rid of.
Odongo urged that the pieces of training continue to keep them refreshed and be able to deal with the modern techniques of trafficking.
As of Sunday, Police in the Nakapiripirit district rescued 22 children from the hands of traffickers who were transporting them outside Karamoja-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
