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CNN Sunday Morning

African Ship Carries Child Slaves

Aired April 15, 2001 - 09:32   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Africa authorities fear a cargo ship off the coast of Guinea may be carrying scores of children destined for slavery. The Nigerian-registered ship was on a voyage from Cameroon; it's destination is uncertain, but authorities believe it is headed to Cotonou, the capital of Benin and relief workers are becoming more and more workers about -- after the ship was turned away from two other African ports for child trafficking. Desperately poor parents in West and Central Africa often give up their children to smuggling rings that promise to educate them and find them jobs. Instead, they're often sold and forced into hard labor.

Now, joining me on the phone from Cotonou is Esther Guluma, who is with UNICEF.

A troubling story, Ms. Guluma. Can you just bring us up to date on where the ship is and where it might be headed?

ESTHER GULUMA, UNICEF: It is very difficult to tell where it is at the moment. It left Cotonou three weeks ago and, as you said, was not allowed to dock in two other African countries. The first was the destination -- Gabon. The second country was Cameroon. It left the port of Douala in Cameroon three days ago on its way back to Cotonou, and that's for a trip that should last 48 hours, but this is three days later and the boat is still not here.

O'BRIEN: Do we know how many children are onboard the vessel?

GULUMA: The reports that we received from the police authorities here in Benin tell us that there were 250 children onboard. Yesterday the police authorities here also reiterated that they have received a report from their colleagues in the -- police in Douala, Cameroon, who boarded the ship while it was at the port and confirmed that there were many, many children onboard and that some of them were sick.

But we cannot really confirm an exact number.

O'BRIEN: What do we know, Ms. Guluma, about conditions currently, then, on the ship? I assume not much, but do we know about provisions and how long the ship can stay at sea?

GULUMA: We can only assume that the conditions are not that good because this (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the West African coast; a ship intended to go, originally, only to Gabon. It is normally small and does not have many amenities onboard. And instead of making a short trip to Gabon it has been on sea for three weeks. It was replenished in Douala, in Cameroon, and so I presume that some food and water were brought onboard. But I doubt very much that conditions are sufficient for the health of the children.

O'BRIEN: Describe, then, the efforts on the part of authorities in various jurisdictions to do something about this. What is underway right now to try and, at the very least, get this ship to shore?

GULUMA: I think that we see here, first of all, very good signs that there is greater awareness of this problem of traffic in children, first of all, by the fact that Gabon and -- both Gabon and Cameroon -- the two countries refused entry. Also, the government in Benin has been very conscious of this problem, and it is the government, the minister of social protection here, the minister of health, who has put together preparations for receiving the children when they arrive, together with UNICEF and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we have medical teams, we have centers waiting for them. And hopefully the Benin authorities will be able to prosecute those who are involved.

O'BRIEN: And just briefly, what do we know about anybody who's behind this? Has anybody been arrested or charged?

GULUMA: So far we are waiting for the boat to arrive here to see exactly who is behind this scheme. This is something that is very common and has been happening repeatedly in West and Central Africa.

O'BRIEN: All right; Esther Guluma, who is with UNICEF on the line from the Benin capital, thank you very much. That's a very troubling story, obviously, this morning.

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