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American Morning

Child Slavery in Africa?

Aired April 17, 2001 - 10:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to start, though, with a story that is packed with all the twists of a heart wrenching drama: whispers of child slavery, parents driven to betrayal and an international hunt for a ship believed to be smuggling its human cargo on an inhumane voyage.

Now, with the ship safely in a West African port comes the big question, is any of this true? For the latest on this deepening mystery, we're going to turn now to our Stephanie Halasz. She is joining us on the phone from the port city of Cotonou in Benin -- Stephanie?

STEPHANIE HALASZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, that's true, and there is really very little light to be shed on this mystery. The boat that we saw coming in last night carried about 147 people. Most of them were adults and most of them were accompanying their children. The captain of the ship said last night that he was not involved in child trafficking, he never had been. He denied having a criminal record, as had been rumored.

Now, the captain was questioned this morning by Benin authorities. He then returned to his ship, where about 50 passengers remain, passengers from Togo, Mali and Senegal. They don't have the necessary papers to enter Benin, they say, and the captain says he would like to go home to Togo, that's where his home is, as soon as possible -- Daryn?

KAGAN: So, Stephanie, there's some thought that a number of children were on board this boat, either at one time or perhaps they were confused with another boat. Is there a case of hundreds of missing children here?

HALASZ: We just don't know. We thought, you know, this ship was carrying up to 280 children and was roaming around the Gulf of Guinea trying to hide anywhere. Now, when the ship came in last night, we didn't see those children. There had, as of last night, been rumors of a second ship but we just cannot be sure that there is a second ship.

Now, aide agencies say there probably is a second ship or a third ship or a fourth ship carrying child slaves because this is a very real problem here in central and west Africa. But this ship that we have, that we saw coming in last night did not carry them.

KAGAN: All right, Stephanie Halasz from Benin, thank you for the latest on that. We will look for more information ahead -- Leon?

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It raises maybe more questions than answers in this particular point. Now, regardless of how this story eventually does play out, the issue of child slavery is all too real. It's a thriving business built largely on the desperation of the children's parents.

CNN's Michael Holmes offers a glimpse inside this insidious industry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These young boys live at a rehabilitation center for rescued child slaves in Benin. The United Nations Children's Fund estimates that nearly 200,000 children in west and central Africa are sold into slavery every year.

ESTELLE GULUMAN, UNICEF WORKER: It is important that everyone knows that there is a problem here for the governments of western and central Africa. Something needs to be done. Maybe the laws need to be strengthened and that the government needs to help the NGOs that are working with children and reinforce the sensitivity of villagers, communities and families.

HOLMES: Poverty is the main motivating factor, with desperately poor parents giving up their kids, some for as little as $14 U.S.

ALFRED IRONSIDE, UNICEF SPOKESMAN: In many of these countries, 40 percent or more of the population live beneath the poverty line so they have very few options for their children, very few educational options, very few vocational options. And that's why this kind of slavery can flourish.

HOLMES: According to UNICEF, child slave traffickers promise the parents better education for their children and well paid jobs. Instead, the boys are usually resold to cotton and cocoa plantations in countries such as Gabon and Ivory Coast for about $34 U.S. a head. For their part, many of the young girls end up as domestic workers or prostitutes. And nearly all of the kids never see their parents again.

In some countries, slave labor isn't the problem. Rather, it's poverty that compels many children to work under some very harsh conditions. At this gold mine in the desert of southern Niger, nearly one third of the workers are under 18. Thousands of children dig mine shafts by hand, carry loads of dirt through slag heaps and pan for bits of gold dust.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I need money so I've got to work here.

HOLMES: The International Labor Organization plans to launch a program to help children at the Niger mine.

BALLA IBRAHIM, INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION: We've got working conditions here that are dangerous. We have had several cases of children being buried alive and it's possible to fall down a deep hole at any moment. And a child doesn't have the same reflexes as an adult to recover.

HOLMES: And throughout the region, international organizations are asking governments to help halt the practice of forced child labor.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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